Earwigs
Earwigs are dark brown insects, with pincers at the rear end and are about 1.5cm long. They are scarey looking especially if you see them in your house.
Male Euopean Earwig (left), Insect Photos.net, Female Earwig (right)-University of Minnesota Extension Service
Description
Usually they are not found in the house since they like moist dark areas during the day. Males have curved pincers while females are usually straight and shorter.
Eggs and Nymphs-John B Free
Lifecycle
They overwinter in the soil and in spring females lay eggs in chamber deep in organic materials. They are one bug that actually has maternal properties. She tends the eggs and after hatching she forages for food for the young nymphs. The process from egg to adult is approximately 70 days.
Earwig Eating Caterpillar-Discoverlife.org
Habitat
They can be found in the daytime in dark places. Usually they climb up fences or other objects above the ground and hide between board or in crevices. They are nocturnal and do most of their damage at night. Sometimes they also hide between leaves of the plants that they attact. They don’t fly and don’t travel long distances, however they ‘hitchhike’ on various objects like a laundry basket, discarded newspaper, bikes or anything else that has places where they can hide. The compost pile is also a place they hide. These bugs are also beneficial as they will eat other bugs, so if they are not harming your plants do nothing.
Damage on Cosmos-Royal Horticultural Society (left)-Earwig on Daisy (right)-Calvin St Andrews
Diet and Damage
They feed on young seedlings and many different flowers, especial dahlias. They make small holes in the leaves and they will literally consume blossoms in an evening if you have an overpopulation. They are attracted to light so use outdoor lights that are bug resistant (usually yellow colour). They also eat other insects dead or alive so they can also be beneficial. I don’t recommend killing them unless you have a very serious problem.
Control
1) Hand Pick
At night use a flashlight to find them and drop them in soapy water.
2) Soap Spray
Spray areas where they may be hiding in the day with insecticidal soap.
3) Newspaper
Dampen some newspaper, roll it up and leave in places at night near the plants they are attacking. In the morning you can discard the newspaper rolls with them in it. Drop in a fire pit, that’ll work.
4) Sticky Traps
Use sticky traps around affected plants……they will stick and die.
*They do NOT crawl in your ear while you are sleeping LOL
May 14th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
I notice that if I leave a wet rag in my sink I will get an earwig or two in my sink in the morning. Since I have stopped leaving the rags in my sink I don’t have anymore in my house. I wonder if they come through the drain at nigiht
September 26th, 2006 at 7:27 am
I really hope that this didn’t happen. If it did it would be one in a trillion. At least I hope so. But you never know. I was shocked to read that every one of us swallows at least one spider in our sleep in our lifetime and that really creeped me out as I have a phobia about spiders also.
September 24th, 2006 at 5:03 pm
Stephen, I highly doubt that really happend.
September 23rd, 2006 at 9:24 pm
patty
actually ear wigs are harmfull to humans they do not vite and only the male earweigs snaps with its rear clawz ! but it is unlikly for themto snap or to crawle in your ear but that does happen sometimes my cousin died becuze an earwig crawled into his brain
September 3rd, 2006 at 9:02 pm
Mine went away by themselves. I never see them anymore.
September 1st, 2006 at 9:10 pm
there in my bathroom & in the hall near it, would an exterminator get rid of them?
August 6th, 2006 at 12:59 pm
Thanks Patty. I am glad to hear that they do not bite, but I am still afraid of them to.
August 4th, 2006 at 9:53 am
I’ve seen black bugs ~ 1/2″ - 3/4″ long (tubular body), with pincers, 2 or 3 times this summer in my bathroom. I’ve never seen them anywhere before; I’m not sure if they’re earwigs or not, but they’re scary looking! This is also the first time I’ve had camel crickets in the basement, in 22 years living here. Pictures of earwigs I’ve seen are brown, not black. If they’re not earwigs, what else could they be? I live in northern New Jersey
August 3rd, 2006 at 11:38 pm
Earwigs are not harmful to humans they don’t bite, I know this but i’m still afraid of them!
July 11th, 2006 at 7:45 pm
Whenever I get my empty birdfeeders to refill them there are always earwigs in them. I am terrified of them so I always use gloves. I have heard that they bite hard. Does anyone know if this is true.