Earwig

What earwigs look like

Earwigs are easy to recognise once you have seen one. Adults reach about 2 cm, with a flat, elongated body in glossy reddish brown to dark brown, six legs and thread like antennae. The feature everyone notices is the pair of curved pincers, called forceps, at the rear end. Males have thicker, strongly curved forceps, while those of the female are straighter and more slender. The species common across Ontario is the European earwig, an introduced insect now found throughout the province. Most have short leathery wing covers with folded hind wings underneath, though they seldom fly. The young look like smaller, paler versions of the adults. Earwigs are nocturnal and run quickly for cover when a light is switched on.

Signs you have earwigs

• Insects under objects. Groups scattering when you lift a flowerpot, paving stone, door mat, hose reel or piece of scrap wood.
• Night time sightings. Earwigs on basement floors, in bathtubs and sinks, or along baseboards after dark.
• Ragged plant damage. Irregular holes chewed through the middle of leaves and petals on dahlias, hostas, lettuce and seedlings.
• Insects at damp entry points. Activity around basement windows, window wells, door thresholds and the base of exterior walls.
• Black specks. Small dark droppings in cupboards, window tracks and along the edges of damp storage areas.
• A faint musty odour. Noticeable where large numbers gather in a confined damp space.

Numbers usually build outdoors first, then push inside when conditions change.

Why earwigs show up around Ottawa and Toronto properties

Earwigs want two things: darkness and moisture. Ontario yards supply both. Mulch beds, leaf litter, dense ground cover, lawn thatch, woodpiles, compost, and the gap under decks, patio stones and siding all hold the damp shade they need through the day. They feed on decaying plant material, algae, soft plant tissue and other small insects, so a well watered, heavily planted garden is good habitat. Trouble indoors tends to follow weather. A long wet spell floods their harbourage and pushes them toward the building, while a sudden dry hot stretch sends them looking for moisture, often into basements, garages and ground floor bathrooms. Homes with mulch or soil tight against the foundation, poor grading or blocked eavestroughs see the heaviest pressure.

Are earwigs dangerous?

Earwigs are a nuisance, not a threat, and the old story about them crawling into ears and burrowing into brains is folklore with no basis. They do not spread disease, they are not venomous, they do not bite in any meaningful sense and they do not infest people or pets. The forceps are used for defence, courtship and handling prey. A large earwig that is picked up can give a pinch, which may be felt but does not break the skin in any serious way and needs nothing more than a wash. They cause no structural damage either, since they do not chew wood, wiring or fabric. Where they do real harm is the garden, where numbers can shred seedlings, flowers and soft fruit overnight. Indoors, the issue is finding them in unwanted places.

How to keep earwigs away

• Pull mulch, soil and dense ground cover back from the foundation and leave a dry strip of bare gravel or stone along the wall.
• Fix drainage so water moves away from the building, clear eavestroughs and extend downspouts past the flower beds.
• Lift woodpiles, planters, bins and stored lumber off the ground and move them away from the house.
• Water gardens in the morning rather than the evening so beds dry out before earwigs become active at night.
• Seal cracks in the foundation, close gaps around basement windows, fit door sweeps and screen window wells.
• Run a dehumidifier in damp basements and crawl spaces, and repair leaking taps, hoses and pipes.

Dry out the ground next to the walls and indoor sightings usually drop off on their own.

How GO! Pest Control handles earwigs

• Inspection. We look at the harbourage around the building, the moisture conditions and the entry points, including window wells, foundation cracks, thresholds and utility penetrations.
• Treatment. We apply licensed products to the perimeter, harbourage areas and entry zones where earwigs travel, rather than treating open living space without cause.
• Proofing. We advise on and address the sealing and exclusion work that keeps them out, from cracks and sweeps to screening and vent covers.
• Follow-up. We check the result and return during the peak summer period if activity continues after wet weather.
• Advice. We set out the landscaping, drainage and watering changes that reduce numbers for the long term.

We are licensed, insured and bonded, and we work in homes, apartments, condos and businesses across the Toronto GTA, Ottawa and Hamilton.

Common questions about earwigs