Earwigs are misunderstood insects that are often mistaken for pests that consume wood. In reality, these nocturnal creatures typically feed on decaying plant material and dead insects. Though they may appear intimidating with their strong pinchers, they’re not known for causing extensive damage to wood or wooden structures around your home.
These insects, with their flat, reddish-brown bodies, can sometimes be found hiding under wood piles, boards, or other damp areas during the day. However, this shouldn’t be mistaken for an appetite for wood. In the evenings, earwigs become active and roam about, searching for food, such as garbage and various house plants. Their diet mainly consists of organic matter, keeping their focus away from your wooden furniture or structural components.
The Nature of Earwigs
Physical Features
Earwigs, also known as Forficula auricularia, are insects characterized by their unique physical features:
- Length: Approximately 5/8 inch long1
- Color: Reddish-brown body
- Wings: Very short
- Antennae: Medium length
- Forceps: Strong pinchers (cerci) on the tip of their abdomen1
Male earwigs have stout, strongly curved cerci, while females possess slender, straight pinchers1.
An Omnivore Diet
Earwigs are omnivores, feeding on a variety of materials such as:
- Soil organisms
- Fungi
- Algae
- Insect eggs and immature stages (e.g., fleas and aphids)2
- Snails and other slow creatures2
- Vegetation, especially when other sources of food are scarce
During the night, earwigs actively search for food3.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
Earwigs have a fascinating life cycle and reproduction process:
- Female earwigs lay 20 to 50 white or cream-colored eggs in a chamber within the upper 2 to 3 inches of soil4
- The female cares for the eggs and first stage of nymphs4
- Nymphs leave the nest and spend one season maturing4
Natural Predators
Earwigs are not only predators themselves, but also serve as prey for other animals:
- Birds: Many bird species are known to prey on earwigs
- Larger arthropods: Some larger insects and spiders also consume earwigs
Although earwigs may seem intimidating due to their forceps-like appendages, they do not pose significant harm to humans and typically hide during the day3.
Do Earwigs Eat Wood?
Decaying Wood as Habitat
Earwigs are known to inhabit a variety of places, including decaying wood. They prefer warm and moist environments to hide during the day and become active at night.
While earwigs primarily feed on decaying plant material and dead insects, their presence in decaying wood can create misconceptions about their dietary habits. However, they generally do not feed on healthy wood or cause structural damage to homes or furniture.
Earwigs’ preference for decaying wood:
- Provides shelter during day
- Offers a warm and moist habitat
Comparison of Earwigs’ Diet and Habitat
| Food Sources | Habitats |
|---|---|
| Decaying plant material | Decaying wood |
| Dead insects | Wet mops, flower pots, woodpiles, shrubberies |
To summarize, although earwigs may be found in decaying wood, they do not consume healthy wood. It is essential to distinguish between their habitat preferences and dietary choices to avoid misunderstandings about their impact on households and gardens.
Earwig Damage in Gardens
Affected Plants
Earwigs are known to damage different types of plants in gardens, including:
- Vegetables
- Seedlings
- Flowers
These pests feed mostly on decaying plant material and dead insects. However, in high numbers, they can sometimes cause damage to living plants as well.
How to Identify Earwig Damage
Earwig damage can often be confused with damage caused by other pests, such as slugs, cutworms, and rabbits. To differentiate earwig damage from other causes, pay attention to these points:
- Slime trail: While slugs leave a slime trail, earwigs do not.
- Feeding time: Earwigs typically hide during the day and come out to feed at night. Use a flashlight to check under plants at night to spot them.
Comparison of Earwig Damage and Slug Damage
| Factor | Earwig Damage | Slug Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Slime trail | No | Yes |
| Time of feeding | Night | Night |
| Plant preference | Seedlings, flowers, some vegetables | Seedlings, some vegetables |
Remember that earwigs can damage seedlings, vegetables, and flowers in your garden when they are present in large numbers. To reduce earwig damage, consider using traps hidden near shrubbery and ground cover plants.
Preventing and Controlling Earwig Infestations
Insect Barriers
One way to prevent earwigs is by using insect barriers. These can include:
- Sealing gaps around doors and windows
- Properly maintaining gutters and downspouts
- Installing window screens
Insect barriers help keep earwigs and other pests, such as centipedes, cockroaches, and boxelder bugs, out of your home.
Removing Habitats
To control earwig infestations, focus on eliminating their potential habitats. This involves:
- Cleaning up piles of leaves, wood, and debris around your home
- Maintaining a tidy garden to reduce hiding spots
- Keeping indoor areas, especially basements, dry and clutter-free
By removing these habitats, you can discourage earwigs from settling in your home.
Attracting Natural Predators
Another approach is to attract earwig predators to help control their population. Some examples of natural predators include:
- Birds
- Toads
- Centipedes
You can attract these predators by providing suitable environments, such as birdhouses and water sources, in your garden.
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Insect Barriers | Effective in keeping pests out | Some maintenance required |
| Removing Habitats | Reduces hiding spots for earwigs | May require significant effort |
| Attracting Predators | Natural pest control with minimal effort | May also attract other pests to your yard |
Are Earwigs Dangerous?
Pinching Behaviour
Earwigs, also known as “pincher bugs,” are known for their characteristic pinchers (cerci) found at the tip of their abdomen. These pinchers can be used defensively when the earwig feels threatened. However, though they may be intimidating in appearance, they are generally not dangerous to humans. An earwig pinch might cause slight discomfort but typically does not result in significant pain or harm.
Preying on Insects
Earwigs are primarily scavengers that feed on dead insects and decaying plant material. In some cases, they may prey on other insects, but this behavior is less common. Comparatively, here are some features of these insects:
- Pinchers for defense and capturing prey
- Nocturnal lifestyle, hiding during the day
- Feeding on decaying matter and insects
Comparison of Earwig Behavior
| Behavior | Earwigs |
|---|---|
| Pinching | Can pinch in defense, but typically not harmful to humans |
| Preying | Occasionally prey on insects, but mainly feed on decaying plant material and dead insects |
In summary, while earwigs may appear intimidating due to their pinchers, they are generally not dangerous to humans or considered major pests. Their primary role in the ecosystem involves scavenging and breaking down decaying matter, and their occasional preying on other insects does not typically pose significant risks or problems.
Footnotes
32 Comments. Leave new
Dave,
I believe WTb is either too polite or too busy to CORRECT YOU! Either way they are an honest service or they wouldn’t have allowed your ill informed post to pass.
EARWIGS ARE NEVER LARVAE! They do not go through a larval stage-Their metamorphosis is called gradual or incomplete. The babies are born looking very similar to the adults and it is highly unlikely to see any of them regardless. The pest company you trashed for lack of knowledge knew this and therefore ruled out what you erroneously came up with and WTB identified the pic and that is all they ever promised to do.
http://pestcemetery.com/pincer-bugs-aka-earwigs/
Perhaps you should apologize to both.
Thanks
Dear pestcemetery,
Thanks so much for coming to our defense. We should have added the information you thoughtfully provided regarding immature earwigs and incomplete metamorphosis, an oversight on our part for sure to leave it out.
Just found some of these today in a wooden pet hutch and I’m from Australia! Interesting read! 🙂
My heart is still beating fast.
My mom just finished some alterations on my suit pants, so I went to the closet to grab my suit jacket and there was one of these things on it.
scared the hell out of me !!!
dublin, california
My heart is still beating fast.
My mom just finished some alterations on my suit pants, so I went to the closet to grab my suit jacket and there was one of these things on it.
scared the hell out of me !!!
dublin, california
Just killed one in my bed. So grossed out now and paranoid 🙁
No need to kill stuff …it was a baby ! ?
I always have a mass of earwigs on the pole of my washing line when I wind it up. And I just spied this anomaly today so I googled it. If it is just a newly molted one, why have I only ever seen one?
Insects are more vulnerable when they have just molted and they are more likely to hide in more secluded places at that time.
Wow, except for the ending this sure does look a lot like the tiny rove beetles that have taken up residence in my home (I like them as I believe they are eating pests I’d rather not have). I wonder if earwigs and rove beetles are more related than we realize…
Maybe you have Webspinners.
Still have chills from seeing one of these earlier on my towel. I thought it was some crazy weird insect and started looking around for more.
Thank you for posting this to calm my worries!
Still have chills from seeing one of these earlier on my towel. I thought it was some crazy weird insect and started looking around for more.
Thank you for posting this to calm my worries!
My kids just found one of these guys in our garden in North Wales, they were fascinated by it
Are they rare? Because I found one today in my local school garden.
Earwigs are not rare.
Cool, thanks. I just found one in a Countdown supremarked in Dunedin. I hadn’t seen one before.
We went outsid at night to see what was eating our garden plants. They were all over especially the petunias. They are eating all the leaves from the vegtables. Is there a way to minimize these critters?
White earwigs i mean.
I have just found 2 and I am in Quebec Canada..
http://www.frugalcanadiancouponmom.com
I have just found 2 and I am in Quebec Canada..
http://www.frugalcanadiancouponmom.com
Just found one, crawling on my outdoor table first time. I’ve ever seen a white earwig.
I have been noticing a lot of them in my bathroom and it’s only in there and I was wondering why.
I found one up my trouser leg he had turned white and his brown body skin was next to him, so he must have removed it. I put him safely outside
Seen my 1st one the other day, I took a picture because I’ve seen tens of thousands of earwigs, but never an albino one.
It’s not an albino. Read the post again.
You would be less paranoid if you had put it in a glass and put it safely outside,maybe next time ?
I have a tendency to drink a cup of tea at night & then forget to drink it all before going to sleep. So i woke up one morning and toyed with the idea of drinking the remainder cold, but instead i threw it down in the sink. Which is just as well, since a drowned earwig fell out also. Now i NEVER finish my tea from the night before.
Thanks for this article; I saw one today and don’t remember seeing one before.
How long do they normally stay white/light before they darken to the usual dark brown.
Carmarthen, South Wales.
Thanks for this article; I saw one today and don’t remember seeing one before.
How long do they normally stay white/light before they darken to the usual dark brown.
Carmarthen, South Wales.
We suspect they darken quickly, within a few hours after molting.
I have a piece of Kauri Gum with 3 fat specimens who got themselves stuck a few Millenia back in the Bay of Plenty NZ