Do earwigs really crawl into your ears?

No — this is a persistent folk legend, not documented behavior. Earwigs got their common name from this old myth, but they have no attraction to ears specifically and no ability to burrow into skin or the brain. They're simply nocturnal insects that seek tight, dark, damp hiding spots, which occasionally means a gap in bedding or clothing, but there's no evidence they target ears any more than any other small crevice.

Can earwigs hurt me or my pets?

Not meaningfully. Earwigs aren't venomous and don't sting or transmit disease. The rear pincers (cerci) can deliver a mild pinch if you handle one roughly, but it's momentary and harmless, comparable to a light pinprick. For a typical household encounter, earwigs are a nuisance, not a danger — the pincers look intimidating, but the actual risk to people or pets is essentially nothing.

Why do I keep finding earwigs in my house?

Almost always because there's a damp, sheltered population living just outside — under mulch, leaf litter, boards, or debris against the foundation — and individuals wander indoors looking for moisture or shelter. Earwigs found indoors aren't reproducing in your house; they're strays from that outdoor reservoir. Reducing outdoor moisture and harborage near the foundation, and sealing entry gaps, addresses the actual source rather than just the bugs you're finding.

Do simple traps like damp newspaper actually work?

Yes. Earwigs are drawn to tight, damp, dark hiding spots, so a roll of damp newspaper, a length of garden hose, or a shallow container with a little oil set out overnight reliably attracts and traps them. Check and empty the trap each morning into soapy water. This low-cost, chemical-free method handles most home infestations effectively when paired with reducing the outdoor moisture and harborage that's drawing earwigs toward the house in the first place.

Daniel Brady · NH-Licensed Pesticide Applicator · License #782664

How to Get Rid of Earwigs

DIY-friendly

To get rid of earwigs, reduce the moisture and harborage that draws them in: fix leaks, dehumidify damp areas, and clear mulch, leaf litter, and wood debris from against the foundation, then seal gaps around pipes and doors. For strays already inside, simple traps work well — rolled damp newspaper, a length of hose, or a shallow oil trap set out overnight, then dumped in soapy water. Earwigs are harmless despite their intimidating pincers: they don't crawl into ears, aren't venomous, and don't spread disease, so indoor chemical treatment is rarely needed. A large outdoor population under mulch or debris is the real signal to address — not a reason to fear the individual bug you found in the sink.

At a glance

Difficulty: Beginner
Time: A weekend to reduce harborage and seal gaps; traps work overnight
Cost: Low — a dehumidifier, caulk, and simple household traps
Success: High once moisture and outdoor harborage near the foundation are addressed

The honest answer

Can you DIY Earwig?

The verdict on Earwig DIY

DIY-friendlyBeginner

An easy DIY — the pincers look scarier than anything they actually do.

The European earwig (Forficula auricularia) is the species homeowners in New Hampshire encounter, and despite the intimidating rear pincers (cerci) and the old "crawls into your ear and brain" legend, it's harmless: earwigs don't crawl into ears, aren't venomous, don't transmit disease, and only rarely deliver a mild, harmless pinch if handled roughly. They're drawn indoors by moisture and harborage — mulch, leaf litter, and wood debris near the foundation — so the whole job is drying out and sealing those entry points, plus simple traps for stragglers.

The playbook

The 5 DIY methods — honestly graded

Every approach graded for this species, in IPM order — prevention first, chemistry late. Pick a method to see how it works, the steps, and what it actually takes.

Prevention / Exclusion

Works well

The dominant lever — moisture and harborage reduction near the foundation solves the underlying cause.

Earwigs need moist, dark hiding spots and are drawn indoors from damp harborage right outside the house. Removing that harborage and moisture, and sealing the gaps they'd use to enter, addresses the source rather than just the bugs you can see.

Best for: Solving the underlying cause of an outdoor earwig population near the house

Reduce moisture
Fix leaks, improve drainage so water moves away from the foundation, and dehumidify damp basements or crawl spaces.
Tip
Earwigs concentrate wherever soil and mulch stay consistently damp.
Clear harborage and seal gaps
Move mulch, leaf litter, and wood/debris piles away from the foundation, and seal gaps around pipes, doors, and the foundation itself.

Tools & materials

DehumidifierCaulkRake

Before you start

None significant — this track is straightforward exclusion and moisture work.

Reality check

Why DIY falls short here

Not scare tactics — the specific, proportionate reasons a home attempt can stall for this species.

Moisture and harborage left in place

Leaving mulch, leaf litter, or damp soil against the foundation keeps funneling earwigs toward the house no matter how many you trap or vacuum indoors.

Overreacting with indoor chemicals

Because the pincers look alarming, people reach for indoor sprays on a harmless bug when a damp newspaper trap or exclusion would solve it just as well without the chemical exposure.

Ignoring the outdoor reservoir

A large population lives under mulch, boards, and garden debris outside; ignoring that reservoir while only addressing what's indoors means new earwigs keep arriving each season.

Straight talk

How risky is it, really?

An honest read — most nuisance species are genuinely low risk, and we say so.

Low risk

Earwigs are harmless to people despite their intimidating look. They don't carry venom, don't transmit disease, and the "crawls into your ear" legend isn't true. The only real-world nuisance is an occasional mild pinch if handled and minor nibbling on tender garden plants.

"Crawls into ears and brain" legendRare
Not true — this is a persistent folk myth, not a documented behavior
University of Wisconsin Horticulture
Mild pinch from the rear pincers if handled roughlyRare
Harmless and momentary — earwigs are not venomous and don't sting
University of Maine Extension
Nibbling on tender garden seedlings and flowersOccasional
A minor garden nuisance, not an indoor or health concern; earwigs also eat aphids and insect eggs, offsetting some plant damage
University of Wisconsin Horticulture
Disease transmission to people or petsRare
Not documented — earwigs pose no direct disease risk
University of Wisconsin Horticulture

When to call a pro

Heavy Earwig Pressure Every Summer?

A large outdoor population near the foundation can outlast simple traps. Anchor Pest Services offers a full moisture and exclusion assessment across southern and central New Hampshire. Family-owned since 2017, NH license #782664.

Call a pro when…

Heavy outdoor pressure continues despite dehumidifying and clearing harborage
You suspect a hidden moisture source you can't locate
You'd rather have a professional exterior perimeter treatment applied correctly

General Pest Control

You almost never need a pro for earwigs — this is a moisture-and-trapping job most homeowners handle in a weekend. The exception is a persistently heavy outdoor population pressing into the house despite consistent moisture control.

Get a Free inspection (603) 785-0118

Keep them out

Move mulch, leaf litter, and wood debris away from the foundation
Fix leaks and improve drainage near the house
Seal gaps around pipes, doors, and the foundation

New Hampshire context

Earwigs in New Hampshire

New Hampshire's humid summers and mulched garden beds close to foundations create ideal earwig harborage for much of the growing season. Activity typically peaks in warm, humid stretches and tapers as temperatures drop toward the first hard frost, when earwigs retreat underground to overwinter rather than seeking to move indoors the way fall invaders like Asian lady beetles do.

Peak season

Warm, humid months (late spring through summer)

First-frost anchor

Manchester first hard frost ~Oct 19 (50%) / Oct 29 (80%), NOAA 1991–2020

Before you treat

Make sure it's a Earwig

Two quick detours worth taking — confirm the ID, then learn what drew it in so it doesn't come back.

Not sure it's this?

Identify Earwig in the Pest Library

Why is it here?

What actually attracts Earwig

Common questions

Frequently asked

Sources & further reading(2)

[1]
University of Wisconsin Horticulture — Earwigs
Biology, myth-correction, harborage/moisture control, trapping, garden impact
extensionverified 2026-07-13
[2]
University of Maine Cooperative Extension — Home & Garden IPM Fact Sheets
Harmless status, pincer myth-correction
extensionverified 2026-07-13

Written & reviewed by

Verified

Daniel Brady

NH-Licensed Pesticide Applicator · License #782664 (NHDAMF, RSA 430)

Daniel Brady is the New Hampshire–licensed applicator behind Anchor Pest Services, a family-owned pest control company serving the Manchester area since 2017.

Verify license

Last updated July 2026

Other species you can tackle

Same category — the dot shows each one's DIY verdict at a glance (green = friendly, amber = doable with care, red = call a pro).

Pillbug

Sowbug

Springtail

Professional Pest Control

Heavy Earwig Pressure Every Summer?

Get a Free inspection (603) 785-0118

Moisture-source diagnosis
NH-licensed applicators (#782664)
Free inspection — same-day service across southern NH

NH License #782664 · No obligation · We answer in person

Keep Exploring

How to Get Rid of Earwigs

Can you DIY Earwig?

The 5 DIY methods — honestly graded

Prevention / Exclusion

Reduce moisture

Clear harborage and seal gaps

Why DIY falls short here

Moisture and harborage left in place

Overreacting with indoor chemicals

Ignoring the outdoor reservoir

How risky is it, really?

Heavy Earwig Pressure Every Summer?

Call a pro when…

Keep them out

Earwigs in New Hampshire

Make sure it's a Earwig

Frequently asked

Other species you can tackle

Heavy Earwig Pressure Every Summer?

Your next step

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Earwigs in New Hampshire — ID, the Ear Myth & Control

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