Earwigs put the “creepy” in creepy crawlies, with their scuttling legs and long pincers on their tails. Old wives’ tales say these insects crawl into people’s ears and burrow into their heads. Fortunately, they are actually relatively harmless, so finding some on occasion isn’t usually a problem. However, if they seem to be setting up shop in your home or garden, there are several ways to send them packing.
What are earwigs?
There are over two thousand species of these insects, and they live everywhere in the world aside from the Arctic and Antarctica. Being nocturnal, they tend to search for food at night. Their diet includes fruit, foliage, wood, flowers, vegetable plants, slugs, snails, and other bugs. Although they have wings, they rarely fly. Earwigs’ pincers may look scary but they can’t do more than pinch when threatened.
What attracts earwigs?
Like similar bugs, earwigs are attracted to damp spaces. So seeing them in your home may indicate leaks or moisture damage. Or it can indicate something benign, such as water not fully draining from the bathtub. Keep an eye out in places that can accumulate moisture, such as kitchens, bathrooms, basements, air-conditioning units, patios, and laundry rooms.
“Food or shelter”
“Earwigs will likely venture into your home if they can find a good source of food or shelter,” says Mike Duncan, a manager at pest control company Truly Nolen. “They feed on decaying plant and animal matter [that] live in damp areas and tend to hide during the daytime under leaf and mulch material around a home.
“If they are invading the interior of the home, it generally means that the environment has changed. This could be the high temperatures and low rainfall or too much rain that drives them inward.”
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Signs of earwigs
- A foul musky smell. They release an odor when they are threatened.
- Excrement that resembles tiny, black pellets.
- In gardens, earwigs leave holes and bite marks on leaves and flower petals.
- In kitchens, they leave produce with black spots and chewed-through holes, according to HGTV.
How to get rid of earwigs in homes
First, inspect the home to find all of the problem areas, according to Megan Wede from Done Right Pest Solutions to Homes and Gardens. “Next, you’ll want to shake down items. Earwigs like to hide, and they can do so in the strangest places, including household items, and furniture. Shake items out to dislodge any harboring earwigs. Vacuum those earwigs up too with an upholstery nozzle.” Be sure to empty the vacuum cleaner into an outdoor garbage disposal.
How to get rid of earwigs in gardens
Since earwigs are attracted to damp and dark spaces, remove mulch, leaf debris, stones, etc. and anything that gathers water in your yard. Allowing sunlight and fresh air into these nooks and crannies make them undesirable to pests. At the same time, get rid of insect fodder such as rotting plants and wood.
“The key to prevention is to remove mulch, leaf debris, splash guards, stones, and landscape timbers from around the structure,” said Thomas Dobrinska, BCE and PHE to Real Simple. “Ensure water is diverted away from the structure.”
You can also sprinkle diatomaceous earth. This powder can dehydrate and kill the earwigs.
Set traps
In gardens where you’d prefer not to dirty your vacuum cleaner, you can set traps. Tony O’Neill, from Simplify Gardening, recommends making them “using damp rolled-up newspapers, cardboard tubes, or shallow containers filled with vegetable oil which can trap but is too shallow to drown earwigs. Place these traps in areas where earwigs are active. Check and replace the traps daily, disposing of the captured earwigs away from your home.”
The moisture will attract the bugs and make it easier to dispose of them, which you can do so by drowning them in hot, soapy water. You can also spray the insects with a solution made of water and dishwashing soap, or water and equal parts rubbing alcohol.
Use natural repellents
Like other bugs, earwigs are sensitive to strong smells. Therefore, you can use your garden to your advantage by planting basil, rosemary, mint, and lavender. Inside, you can diffuse essential oils such as cinnamon, eucalyptus, peppermint, and clove. Inside or outside, you can try white vinegar or lemon juice.
How to prevent future infestations
“Earwigs love damp areas, so if you’ve ever had a pipe leak in a wall void, this is a perfect condition for earwig populations to grow,” says Megan Wede. “Be on the lookout for any warping or bulging siding, as it means there has been water damage within that wall. Be sure to remove that source of harborage condition, such as fixing a leaky basement wall.”
In that vein, promptly repair leaky faucets and pipes, cracks in the foundation, damaged window and door seals, and holes in the roof. In the meanwhile, install dehumidifiers to reduce the dampness in areas that seem to attract earwigs. Next, be on guard for crumbs and other food leftovers. Take out the trash regularly and keep the floors clean.
If your measures aren’t working, call a professional pest exterminator for advice. Additionally, speak to a repairman or plumber about potential moisture damage that may be attracting the bugs.
