At a glance
- Earwigs are slender brown insects about 1/2 inch to 1 inch long, with a pair of pincers called cerci at the tip of the abdomen.
- The belief that earwigs crawl into people's ears is a myth, and their pincers can give only a small pinch that rarely breaks the skin.
- Around Phoenix-area homes, earwigs hide in damp places such as mulch, landscape rock, potted plants and irrigated beds along the foundation.
- Heavy irrigation and monsoon rain flood the places earwigs hide around East Valley homes, and dry heat sends them looking for moisture, so groups may turn up in garages, laundry rooms and bathrooms.
- Earwig treatment by Platinum Pest Management covers the foundation and planting beds, with granular treatment in rock and mulch where the label allows and attention to door thresholds and garage door seals.
On this page
What earwigs look like
Earwigs are slender, brown to reddish-brown insects about 1/2 inch to 1 inch long, and they are active at night. A pair of pincers at the tip of the abdomen, called cerci, makes them easy to recognize. They use the pincers for defense and to hold prey, and males usually have larger, more curved pincers than females.
Despite the name, earwigs do not crawl into people's ears. That idea is an old folk belief with no basis. An earwig that is picked up may pinch, but the pinch rarely breaks the skin, and earwigs are not known to spread disease.
Where earwigs hide around East Valley homes
Earwigs dry out quickly, so in a desert yard they stay close to irrigation and shade. During the day they squeeze into tight, damp spaces, often packed together in groups. Around East Valley homes, our technicians find them most often in these places:
- Under landscape rock and stepping stones
- In bark mulch and dense ground cover
- Beneath potted plants and in the saucers under them
- Irrigated flower beds and vegetable gardens
- Along the foundation, where drip lines or sprinklers keep the soil wet
- Under doormats and garden hoses left on damp ground
Yards with thick mulch or heavily watered beds against the house usually have the most earwigs. Where the soil next to the walls is allowed to dry between waterings, far fewer of them stay close to the house.
Why earwigs come inside the house
Earwigs move when their hiding places get too wet or too dry. Heavy irrigation floods the rock and mulch where they shelter, and so do monsoon storms, which usually arrive between July and September. Either one can push earwigs up onto patios and walls. Long stretches of dry heat send them toward the house for a different reason, since they go looking for any moisture they can find.
Both situations can bring earwigs indoors in groups. They tend to collect in garages, laundry rooms and bathrooms, usually getting in under doors or past worn garage door seals.
Indoor breeding is rare, and most earwigs that wander inside die within a few days unless they find moisture. A steady stream of them in the house usually means many more are living just outside the walls.
What earwigs eat
Most of an earwig's diet is decaying plant material, such as dead leaves and rotting mulch. Earwigs also eat small insects, including aphids, and they will chew on seedlings, tender leaves, flower petals and soft fruit. In most yards the plant damage is light, although a bed of young seedlings under heavy mulch can lose a lot of leaves over a few nights. Indoors, earwigs are a nuisance and do not damage the house itself.
How our earwig control treatment works
Earwig control from Platinum Pest Management concentrates on the yard and the outside of the house, since that is where earwigs live and breed. On a treatment visit, a licensed technician will:
- Apply an exterior treatment along the foundation and in the planting beds beside the house
- Spread a granular treatment through landscape rock and mulch where the product label allows it
- Treat door thresholds and the base of the garage door, where earwigs slip inside
- Check the garage door seals and door sweeps and point out any that are worn or torn
- Treat inside the garage or laundry room on request when earwigs are turning up indoors
We use EPA-registered products, applied by licensed technicians according to the label. Earwig problems tend to rise with heavy watering and monsoon rain, so we renew the treatment through the warm months instead of relying on one application in spring. At the follow-up visit, the technician checks whether activity has dropped and re-treats any bed or doorway that is still active.
Earwigs fall under our general pest control service, so the re-service guarantee covers them. If they return between scheduled visits, we come back and treat again at no extra charge.
How to keep earwigs away from the house
Moisture and cover near the walls bring earwigs to a house, and bright white lights by the doors draw more of them at night. These changes help the most:
- Pull mulch and ground cover a few inches back from the foundation so the soil against the house can dry.
- Fix leaking drip emitters and broken sprinkler heads near the walls.
- Adjust irrigation timers so the beds along the foundation dry out between waterings.
- Replace worn door sweeps and the bottom seal on the garage door.
- Move potted plants a few feet away from doors or raise them on stands.
- Switch the bulbs near doors to yellow bug lights or warm-color LEDs.
Crickets respond to the same changes, since they also collect at lighted doorways and shelter in damp cover along the foundation. Our cricket control page explains how we treat crickets, a main food of the Arizona bark scorpion.
The pest control plans page compares our recurring schedules with one-time service, and the residential pest control page explains what regular home service involves. A free inspection comes first, so a technician can see where earwigs are living before recommending how often to treat.
Frequently asked questions
Do earwigs crawl into people's ears?
No. Earwigs do not seek out ears, and the name comes from an old folk belief. The pincers at the end of the body can give a small pinch if an earwig is handled, but the pinch rarely breaks the skin. Earwigs have no venom and are not known to spread disease.
Why are there so many earwigs in my garage?
When the yard floods or dries out, earwigs leave their hiding spots, and the garage is often the nearest shelter. Monsoon storms and heavy irrigation soak the mulch and rock where they live, while long dry spells push them toward moisture. A worn seal along the bottom of the garage door is one of the most common ways in.
Do earwigs damage plants?
Most of what earwigs eat is decaying plant material and small insects, including aphids. They can chew holes in seedlings, tender leaves, flower petals and soft fruit, especially in damp, heavily mulched beds. The damage is usually light, and pulling mulch back from young plants and letting beds dry between waterings helps.
Do earwigs breed inside the house?
It is uncommon. Earwigs need steady moisture, and most that wander indoors die within a few days unless they find a leaking pipe or a damp bathroom floor. A lot of earwigs inside usually means a large population right outside in the beds and rock along the foundation, which is where treatment needs to go.
Is earwig control part of general pest control?
Yes. Earwigs are covered by Platinum Pest Management's general pest control, so they are treated on regular plan visits. Each visit renews the exterior treatment around the foundation and planting beds, and the technician adds granular treatment in rock and mulch where the label allows. Covered pests that return between visits are re-treated at no extra charge.