Earwig
Forficula auricularia
- Identification
- Dark, elongated insects with prominent rear pincers (cerci). About ⅝ inch.
- Lifecycle & behavior
- Live outdoors under mulch, stones, and debris, feeding on plants and other insects; wander indoors seeking moisture.
- When it's active in Central NY
- Peak in warm, damp CNY summers, entering homes through ground-level gaps, especially after wet weather.
- Risk & damage
- The pincers look menacing but are essentially harmless; they don't damage the home. A nuisance invader.
- Why DIY falls short
- Indoor treatment ignores the outdoor harborage and moisture producing them.
- How we treat it
- Exterior perimeter treatment, harborage reduction (mulch and debris), and sealing entry points.
Earwig — and does it really go in your ear?
Earwigs are easy to identify: elongated, reddish-brown, with prominent forceps-like pincers at the rear. Males have curved pincers, females straighter ones. Nothing else in a local home has that rear-end structure.
The folklore is false. Earwigs do not burrow into ears or brains. The pincers are used for defense and handling prey, and while a large one can deliver a pinch, it is harmless.
Earwigs in Central New York
Earwigs are moisture-loving and nocturnal, sheltering during the day under mulch, stones, boards, leaf litter, and in the damp gap between siding and foundation. They come indoors mainly during weather extremes — heavy rain driving them out, or a dry spell driving them toward moisture.
Because they are an outdoor insect that wanders in, the effective work is at the perimeter: pulling mulch and leaf litter back from the foundation, improving drainage, and sealing at ground level. They damage seedlings and soft plants in the garden but do not harm structures.
Dealing with earwig?
Our general pest preventative service handles it — guaranteed, family-owned, and local.
Earwig — common questions
Do earwigs crawl into your ears?
No. That is folklore with no basis. They shelter in damp dark places outdoors — under mulch, boards, and leaf litter — and wander indoors during very wet or very dry stretches. The pincers are for defense and prey handling; a large one can pinch, but it is harmless.