Earwig control in Los Angeles

How to recognize an earwig

• Size and color: about half an inch to an inch long, reddish-brown to dark brown, with a flat, narrow body.
• Pincers: a pair of curved forceps at the tail end — straighter on females, more curved on males.
• Habits: active at night, hiding by day in tight, damp spots. You usually find them when you lift a pot, open a door or turn on the bathroom light.

The pincers are used for defense and can give a light pinch if an earwig is handled, but earwigs don’t sting, carry venom or damage the house. The old story about earwigs crawling into ears is a myth.

Why earwigs come inside

• Moisture next to the walls. Sprinklers and drip lines that wet the foundation, thick mulch, ivy and ground cover give earwigs a permanent home right beside the house.
• Heat and dry spells. When the yard dries out, they look for cooler, damper places — bathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchens.
• Easy entry. Gaps under doors and garage doors, worn weatherstripping and cracks along the slab or stucco line.
• Lights at night. Porch and patio lights draw insects to the doorway after dark.

Earwigs found indoors usually came in from outside; they rarely set up a lasting population inside a dry house. That’s why the fix is mostly outdoors.

Earwigs in the garden

Earwigs eat decaying plant matter and other small insects such as aphids, but they also chew seedlings, soft leaves, flowers and ripe soft fruit. Ragged holes in young plants or petals that appear overnight are a common sign. In many gardens a moderate number does little harm; heavy numbers near vegetable beds or flower borders are worth reducing.

How earwig control works

1. Inspection of the foundation line, planting beds, irrigation, mulch, pots, wood piles and door thresholds.
2. Harborage reduction — recommendations to thin ground cover, pull mulch back from the walls and fix overwatering.
3. Targeted perimeter treatment of the areas where earwigs shelter and enter, following product labels — not broad spraying of the yard.
4. Entry point fixes — door sweeps, weatherstripping and sealing gaps along the slab.
5. Follow-up where numbers are high; earwig problems often fit into recurring exterior service together with spiders and ants.

Keeping earwigs out

• Keep a dry strip along the foundation: move drip emitters and sprinkler heads so they don’t wet the walls.
• Pull mulch, leaf litter and ivy back several inches from the house.
• Lift pots onto feet and clear boards, stones and clutter from beside the walls.
• Install door sweeps and replace worn weatherstripping, including on the garage door.
• Use warm-colored or motion-activated outdoor lights near doors.
• Indoors, simply vacuum up stray earwigs; there’s no need to treat living spaces for a few wanderers.

For garden-safe trapping ideas, see the earwig guidance from UC Statewide IPM.

Frequently asked questions