How to Get Rid of Earwigs in the House

Earwigs are nocturnal, creepy-looking pests with a false reputation for being insects that will burrow into people's ears and lay eggs, but they don't. Instead, earwigs in the house are an indicator that your home is a moist, protected environment for them. They can damage plants and cause minor irritation when they pinch, but overall, they are beneficial to the ecosystem.

Continue reading to find eight of the best natural ways to get rid of or deter earwigs in the house without using toxic pesticides or ecosystem-harming methods.

What Do Earwigs Look Like?

Before you can get rid of earwigs, confirm the insect in your home is an earwig. Earwigs are long, flat, and wriggly little creepy-crawlies with six legs. Some have wings, others do not, but they are most commonly recognized for their menacing-looking cerci or pair of curved pincers emerging from the end of their abdomen.

There are more than 1,800 species of earwigs worldwide and more than 20 species north of Mexico, but only a handful of these species are considered common pests in North America. There is a lot of variance in the size, coloring, and appearance of earwigs. Common pest earwigs in North America include:

• European earwig (Forfiucla auricularia): 3/8 to 5/8 inch long (9-17mm): red-brown coloring; pale coloring on their legs, cerci, and antennae; most damaging to plants
• Spine-tailed earwig (Doru aceuleatum): 1/2 to 3/4 inch long (12-18mm); brown and yellow markings; black abdomen with yellowish legs
• Striped earwig (Labidura riparia): 3/4 to 1 inch long (18-26mm), winged with lengthy antennae; a mix of light brown to red-brown with two dark stripes on the thorax (mid-section) and a dark stripe down the length of their abdomen; occasionally dark all over
• Ring-legged earwig (Euborellia annulipes): 3/8 to 1 inch long (16-25 mm); live in coastal regions; wingless; dark brown to black; light yellow legs marked in a distinct but lightly colored ring pattern
• Maritime earwig (Anisolabis maritime): 5/8 to 1 inch long (16-25mm), large and wingless; shiny dark brown to black appearance; long dark antennae with pale short legs; males have strongly curved asymmetrical cerci and females have straight symmetrical cerci
• Least earwig (Labia minor): 1/8 to 1/4 inch long (4-6mm); small with short cerci; color is variegated and ranges from light brown and tan to black; brown-yellow legs; yellowish hairs on the legs and body
  

8 Natural Ways to Get Rid of Earwigs

If you only notice one or two earwigs, it shouldn't be a problem. But, if they are plentiful and create issues for you in your home or garden, address the potential root causes. Ensure you don't have a food source for them; their primary food source is decaying plant material and wood, but they will also eat flowers, greens, and fruits.

Chemical pesticides are not the best way to deal with earwigs, and even some natural pesticides like diatomaceous earth and horticultural oils can interrupt the balance of the delicate garden ecosystem, killing off all pests, good and bad. Avoid these treatments for earwigs and try something else. Consider an all-natural control method or a professional pest control service.

Remove Excess Moisture (Most Effective)

Keep earwigs out of the house by keeping moisture out of dark, protected, moist spots using a dehumidifier or vapor barrier in a house crawlspace. Fix moisture issues around the home that could be attracting earwigs. Earwigs will hide under cedar siding, so check for wet spots and areas with standing water. These insects gravitate to bathroom cabinets with leaks or condensation in basements.

Take the following steps to avoid a moisture issue in your home:

• Address leaks, including broken or leaky irrigation systems
• Clean out gutters and downspouts to prevent a backup
• Avoid overwatering your lawn or garden
• Use a dehumidifier in overly moist rooms
• Install a vapor barrier in a crawlspace to prevent moisture
• Check vents leading from the home laundry; earwigs sense the moist air from exhaust vents and enter homes via uncovered vent systems

Remove Hiding Spots

Look under your kitchen and bathroom sinks, basement, or crawl space for moist spots where earwigs are most comfortable. Earwigs find their way inside homes when looking for warmth in the fall or a water source in dry weather. Earwigs hide and keep hydrated in places like:

• Under bathroom and kitchen sinks
• Basements
• Crawlspaces
• Doorways and around window frames
• Mulch, wood, and leaf piles
• Compost and manure piles
• Pallets
• Cardboard

Keep the Lights Off at Night

If you have flying earwigs in your region, reduce their presence and other flying insects from entering the house by turning off porch lights (and interior lights) at night when not in use. Since light attracts earwigs at night, consider using it as an attractant when you set traps.

Set One of These Traps

Traps can help reduce the number of earwigs present around your home. Consider using a nightlight to boost trap effectiveness since light entices these bugs at night.

• Magazine roll trap: One of the easiest traps to use is a magazine or a rolled-up piece of cardboard. Set this out and encourage the earwigs to hide in it. In the morning, pick up your trap and shake the earwigs out into a bucket of soapy water.
• Oil trap: Another simple trap is using vegetable or fish oil for a trap in an overturned jar lid. Pool the oil in the lid and leave it under the sink or in problem spots. The oil attracts the bugs and drowns them.
• Terra cotta pot trap: To keep earwigs away from your plants, make a terra cotta pot trap filled with straw, turned upside down, and placed above your plants. As nocturnal insects, earwigs will search out the flowerpot as a hiding spot in the morning. Empty the trapped insects in soapy water to get rid of them.
  
• Sticky glue trap: You can use mouse glue traps anywhere you have noticed earwigs. Consider sprinkling a few drops of fish oil on the trap as an attractant.

Seal Them Out

When earwigs want to escape the cold or need a wet spot to remain comfortable, they might turn to your home for that haven. Keep earwigs out of your home by sealing up cracks and crevices using caulk. Make sure your doors and windows close with a proper seal. By keeping a good seal on your home, it will reduce moisture.

If the crevices around your doorways and windows need help with moisture control, sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth around the cracks. This natural desiccant will dehydrate the insects as they walk through the powdery substance.

Make a DIY Bug Spray

Kill earwigs with a spritz of 70 percent rubbing alcohol and water. Another option is to use a dish soap and water solution and spray areas where earwigs hang out. A solution of water and white distilled vinegar is another scent that earwigs do not like and effectively cleans.

Use Natural Repellents

Plant herbs around the home or create sachets of herbaceous scents that earwigs do not like, such as anise, basil, lavender, rosemary, dill, fennel, cinnamon, eucalyptus, cayenne, garlic, citrus, cosmos or tansy flowers.

Protect Your Fruit Trees

Earwigs will burrow into ripe tree fruit. Protect your fruit with a petroleum jelly trap. Protect the tree trunk by wrapping it in plastic wrap, and smear a line of petroleum jelly about two inches wide around the tree. The sticky barrier prevents earwigs from reaching the fruit.

What Causes Earwigs?

Earwigs originated in Europe but are found worldwide, except in Antarctica. They have spread all over the globe via imports and exports.

• Moisture draws them: These insects are attracted to compact, moist environments that offer shelter and protect them from drying out in the sun during daylight hours. Earwigs hide in these wet, dark spots (sometimes alone, sometimes piled up by the dozens) and wait for night to come so they can scavenge for food. They don't drown easily; they can float in water for up to 24 hours. Consistently finding earwigs in a particular area of your home is a sign of a moisture issue.
• Available food source: Moisture helps the wood to decompose—an earwig food source. Earwigs will eat from various food sources, preferring to eat rotting organic matter, fresh plants, plant debris, and insects (both dead and alive). Accumulations of organic materials such as compost piles, mulch, dead leaves, and manure are the perfect spot for earwigs to hide and feed. Earwigs are more likely to come in if these piles are close to your house.
• Change of seasons: Some species of earwigs will attempt to come inside homes in large numbers during the fall months when insects are naturally looking for places to overwinter. If your home has a history of attracting earwigs in the fall, remove or address conditions that may attract them.
  

Signs of Earwigs

Earwig signs in the home or garden are similar. They are likely to be found in moist, dark areas, such as in the damp soil of indoor houseplants, under wet rugs and carpets, and in the baseboards of your bathroom and kitchen. Outside, they're found under paving stones, tree bark, inside dead logs, and in cracks in the soil.

Take note that earwigs release a foul excrement-like odor when they are disturbed. Other signs include:

• Houseplants with chewed leaves
• Vase flowers with insect activity or chew marks
• Fruits and vegetables in your kitchen with black spots and holes in them
• Scattering of earwig excrement that looks like small, black pellets

When to Call a Professional to Treat an Earwig Infestation

If earwigs are overwhelming your home in large numbers and repeated attempts to get rid of them are not working, hire an exterminator. Exterminators will investigate and find the source of the pest infestation. They are licensed to use chemical controls to get rid of the problem.

They will likely use effective insecticides like spinosad (e.g., SluggoPlus baits or spinosad sprays). They will put baits around attractive areas, plants, and near home foundation entry points. More potent, toxic insecticides, like carbaryl, may be used if other options don't work. Integrated pest management combines strategies to solve insect problems, combining insecticides, traps, and sanitation procedures. Effective pest control requires persistence and continued efforts to remove earwigs effectively.