Earwigs - PEST UK

Providing pest control services in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, London, Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, West Midlands, West Sussex, Wiltshire. Est. 1985.

Our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Earwigs

Frequently asked questions about earwigs:

Earwigs do not sting nor are they dangerous. They have no venom, so earwigs are not poisonous.

An insecticide treatment will get rid of earwigs.

Earwigs enter homes by crawling through cracks, gaps and holes that lead inside the structure.

The earwig gets its name from myths claiming the insect can climb inside a person’s ear and either live there or feed on their brain. This myth is not true. Earwigs don’t feed on the human brain or lay their eggs in ear canals.

Earwigs are not harmful so they do not have to be killed.

The term, earwig, is derived from the Old English word ‘ēare’, which means “ear”, and ‘wicga’, which means “insect”. The name is also thought to be related to the old wives’ tale that earwigs burrowed into the brains of humans through the ear and laid their eggs there. This is not true.

Earwigs are attracted to damp, humid places such as in cavity walls and under floorboards.

The female earwigs carry around their eggs until they find a protected area to lay them in. This is typically burrowed into a spot under leaves, in soil, or in a crevice.

Earwigs can infest your home in cavity walls and under floorboards.

Earwigs may be in your bed if you have an infestation.

Nothing will kill an earwig in your home naturally. An insecticide spray will kill earwigs in your home.