Earwigs are nocturnal insects that shelter in damp, protected places outdoors, and they end up in the house when they are attracted to lights at night or driven in by wet weather. Most of them are harmless to people, but large numbers around doors, laundries and bathrooms are a nuisance.
Why are there earwigs in my house?
According to the Australian Museum, earwigs are usually nocturnal and attracted to lights at night. They live in protected, moist environments: leaf litter and other debris on the ground, under bark, under stones and between tightly packed leaves. A house with mulched garden beds, stacked pots, timber piles or leaf build-up against the walls provides all of that within a metre of the door.
Once a population is established beside the house, an open door with the light on, a gap under a sliding door or a damp laundry is enough to bring them inside. Bathrooms, laundries and kitchens near the back door are the usual places people find them.
What do earwigs look like, and do they bite?
Earwigs have an elongated, flattened body and a pair of pincer-like forceps at the end of the abdomen. The Australian Museum lists 85 described Australian species, ranging from 5 mm to 50 mm, in colours from yellow and orange-brown to dark brown and black. The forceps are used for defence and for catching and carrying prey, and many species can produce a noxious fluid as a defence.
The idea that earwigs crawl into sleeping people's ears is a mistaken belief, the Museum says, and is one of the suggested origins of the name.
Are earwigs a pest?
Most Australian earwig species are not significant pests. The Australian Museum notes that some can become nuisance pests when present in large numbers. The introduced European earwig, Forficula auricularia, can be a serious pest of gardens and vegetable crops and is relatively common around suburban homes.
Earwigs are mostly omnivores, eating a wide range of live and decaying plant and animal material. If seedlings or soft vegetables in the garden are being chewed overnight, earwigs are one of the candidates.
How do you get rid of earwigs?
The aim is to make the area right around the house less appealing and harder to enter.
- Clear leaf litter, loose mulch and debris away from the walls and foundations.
- Move stored timber, pots and stones off the ground next to the house, or at least away from the doors.
- Fix leaking taps, downpipes and sprinklers that keep the soil beside the walls wet.
- Swap outdoor lights near doors for warm LED globes, or switch them off when not needed, since earwigs are drawn to lights at night.
- Seal gaps under doors and around windows, and fit weather strips on sliding doors.
Female earwigs dig a short burrow under leaf litter or debris to lay their eggs and care for them, so the debris you clear is also where the next generation starts.
When should you call a pest controller?
If earwigs are coming inside in numbers after you have cleaned up the garden edges, a general pest treatment deals with the perimeter, eaves, window frames and entry points. Earwigs that are indoors in damp rooms are often found alongside silverfish, which like the same moisture, so fixing the damp helps with both. To book an inspection or ask a question, contact us.
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