Earwigs: What Are They?

6 years ago
by Heather Whitney

Content:

A lot of people would have seen an earwig at some point, but they may not even know what they were. They can be scary-looking insects, leading many to assume they are dangerous to humans. In fact, there are many myths about earwigs including where they get their name from.

If you haven’t seen one, an earwig is a medium-sized insect that has a flat body that is usually either brown or black. Some have red coloring on their heads and limbs or stripes on their bodies. They tend to grow up to one and one-fourth of an inch in length, but that measurement includes the nastiest looking part of the earwig’s body.

This of course is the pincers at the back end of the earwig. They almost resemble forceps, and they are used as a defense mechanism against predators. When the earwig feels threatened or needs to be aggressive, it will curve the pincers over its body to resemble a scorpion.

The earwig also has wings, but these are seldom used, as earwigs prefer to crawl rather than fly.

What Do They Eat

lichen

Earwigs are night feeders, and they like to eat other insects as well as a variety of other things.

These include moss, lichen, and fungi, as well as decaying organic material. If you happen to leave greasy food lying around, they will also devour that quite happily.

The Lifecycle of an Earwig

The earwig goes through a number of changes as they grow, a process called metamorphosis. The first stage is the egg, and then they become nymphs. The nymph looks very similar to the adult but is smaller. From the nymph stage, the adult earwig bug emerges.

Interestingly, the earwig is one of the very few insect species where the mother bug takes care of the young. The female lays up to 50 eggs at one time, and they are laid beneath the ground.

The earwig normally reproduces during autumn or spring. The life cycle of an earwig can vary among the more than 1800 species of earwig, and a lot of it depends on the environment, predators, and food availability. And of course, humans.

Benefits of Having Earwigs in the Garden

Most of the time, earwigs are quite beneficial, and are often referred to as ‘sanitary engineers’.

This is because they help to keep the environment clean by eating other insects and decaying plant material.

What Attract Earwigs?

Earwigs most often hide out during the day beneath anything that provides some level of darkness and dampness, such as rocks and bark. But, if there is a drought, they can make their way inside your house desperately seeking shelter in an environment that is more suitable, where they can find a nice, dark, damp space.

Once the earwigs are inside your home, they are attracted to materials that contain a source of cellulose. They really like old papers, books, and boxes that you may have stored away in your basement. When they are hungry they can head for your kitchen searching for greasy, sweet food items.

Unfortunately, earwigs are also attracted to vegetable plants, especially beans and beets, the silk of sweet corn, lettuce, potatoes, and strawberries. In your flower garden, they are fond of ornamental plants including dahlias, hollyhocks, zinnias, and butterfly bush. If they aren’t controlled they can cause a great deal of damage to your seedlings.

What to Do When Earwigs are in Your House

vacuum cleaner

Despite the rumors, earwigs are not dangerous to humans, but you still don’t want them inside your house. Don’t think they won’t give you a nip with their pinchers though if you pick them up or aggravate them. The bite isn’t too nasty as they have no venom, and they hardly ever manage to break the skin.

If the pinch from the earwig does break the skin, just treat it like you would for any other type of scratch, abrasion or bite. Clean the area thoroughly to remove any potential germs and apply some antibiotic cream.

If you only see one earwig hanging around your home you can easily remove it with a broom or a vacuum.

However, if there is more of an infestation, the best way to manage it is to prevent them from coming indoors in the first place. The best way to do this is to make your home seem unattractive to the earwig. Here are some super tips to help you out:

  • Don’t use stones as decoration in the yard – they provide a hiding place
  • Leave a barrier around 1 foot in width between any greenery and your home
  • Keep your mulch no deeper than 2 inches
  • Clean out the rain gutters
  • Ensure the gutters carry the rain water away from the house
  • Move piles of branches and leaves as far away as possible from your house
  • Seal any cracks in the house perimeter to prevent entry
  • Use dehumidifiers to remove any dampness in the house
  • Wipe up any water that is spilled in the kitchen and bathroom
  • Repair any leaky faucets or other plumbing
  • Don’t leave pet food outside over night
  • Vacuum regularly
  • Store food in sealable containers

Trapping Earwigs

If you haven’t been successful in keeping earwigs away, you can trap them instead.

Unfortunately, it won’t be pleasant to the earwig, but these methods are a must if you have an infestation.

Can Traps

The best can use is a cat food can. Pour some oil into the can until it is about ¼ inch deep, then sink the can into the ground near the plants that attract the earwigs.

You will need to empty these traps every day to get rid of the dead earwigs.

Oatmeal Bait

For this method, take a box and cut small holes into the sides. Then place some oatmeal inside to act as bait. Place the boxes near plants where you frequently see earwigs.

This trap won’t kill the earwig, so if you want to get rid of them once and for all, dump the trapped bugs into a bucket of soapy water the next morning.

The Shake and Cloth Trap

This one really is so simple, anyone can do it without any need for tools or supplies. All you need is a light-colored piece of cloth. If you have a plant with an earwig infestation, place the cloth beneath it and shake the branches.

The earwigs on the plant will fall onto the cloth, which is then easily scooped up. Again, to kill the earwigs, resort to the bucket of soapy water method.

When There are Too Many!

diatomaceous earth

If you have spotted a large number of earwigs in your garden, there are a few things you can try to drive them away.

These include:

  • Sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the flower beds and at the base of plants, in a circle with a width of around 2 inches. Remember to reapply it if it has rained.
  • Apply Steinermema carpocapsae, a nematode which is an alternative to poisonous pesticides.
  • Reduce the lighting around the foundation of your home.
  • If you are in North America, attract the tachinid fly into your garden. This is a natural predator of earwigs and is attracted to the plants dill, fennel, calendula and alyssum.

Why are They Called Earwigs?

The name earwig actually has a strong place in history, particularly surrounding the beliefs about the habits of these bugs. It was believed, right up to the twentieth century, that earwigs would crawl into people’s ears then lay their eggs in the brain, while the person was asleep. This was even published in a number of scientific dictionaries at that time.

One publication declared that earwigs could cause deafness and ‘violent’ pain due to their bite. There was even a record of a woman who had a whole nest of earwigs in her ear.

But, modern-day entomologists state that this is most likely a myth or ‘wives’ tale’ rather than a scientific portrayal of what took place. It is not disputed that an earwig may accidentally crawl into a human ear from time to time, but then so can other bugs, including spiders.

What a scary thought that is! So, it is highly unlikely that they are capable of crawling in, boring through the human brain, and happily laying their eggs to the detriment of the human host. It’s a good example of the wild and weird beliefs of that era.

The name earwig is a derivative of a word in Anglo-Saxon ‘ear wicga’, which when loosely translated means the ear wiggler. There is however some dispute about the translation itself, with many scientists believing the true translation to be ‘ear-wing’, which relates to the pincers being considered ‘wings’.

In Summary

Earwigs, despite their menacing appearance, are actually harmless to humans regardless of the myths and stories that have been passed around for hundreds of years.

While they can cause some damage to young plants, they are generally beneficial in the garden, especially when it comes to other insect pests.

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