Earwigs in Oklahoma: Pest or Pal?

Earwigs are a little of both. They are harmless to people: the curved pincers on the tail are used for defense, not attack, and earwigs do not crawl into ears. In the garden they eat aphids and other small insects, though they also chew tender plants. They turn into a pest when hot, dry weather drives them indoors looking for damp shelter, and a few dozen in a bathroom or laundry room is unsettling. The good news is that earwigs cannot settle in indoors, so fixing moisture and sealing doors takes care of most problems.

What does an earwig look like?

Earwigs are slender, flattened, brown to reddish-brown insects, usually about 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, with short antennae and a pair of pincers, called cerci, at the end of the abdomen. Some species have short, leathery front wings and can fly; others have no wings at all. They move fast and are active at night. During the day they hide in tight, dark, damp places.

Which earwigs live in Oklahoma?

Fewer than most people expect. The K.C. Emerson Entomology Museum at Oklahoma State University lists only four earwig species established in Oklahoma, three of them introduced from elsewhere. A survey by OSU entomologists in the Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Science found earwigs are not common in the state and recorded:

• Ring-legged earwig (Euborellia annulipes). The one most often found in and around buildings. Ohio State University Extension describes it as wingless, 1/2 to 3/5 inch long, with white bands at the leg joints. It eats plants and plant products and also preys on other insects.
• A native earwig (Vostox brunneipennis), the only species the authors considered native, found under the loose bark of dead trees. It was recorded in Tulsa and Mayes counties.
• Little earwig (Labia minor), a small species covered in short hairs.
• Striped or shore earwig (Labidura riparia), a large, winged predator, known in Oklahoma from a single specimen.

The European earwig, the species in most photos and most earwig advice online, has turned up in Oklahoma only a few times and, according to the OSU museum, is not thought to be established here. The control advice below works for all of them.

Do earwigs pinch or bite?

Ohio State University Extension puts it simply: despite their intimidating appearance, earwigs are harmless to people. The pincers are used for defense and for males wrestling one another. A bigger earwig may give a light pinch if it is picked up or trapped against skin. Earwigs do not sting, do not carry disease, do not damage wood or wiring, and do not infest food.

And they do not seek out ears. The name is old folklore, and earwigs prefer mulch and boards to people.

Pest or pal: what earwigs eat

Earwigs eat almost anything. Ohio State lists dead and living mosses, lichens, algae, fungi, insects, spiders and mites, and notes that earwigs thrive on soft-bodied insects such as aphids and scale. That part makes them useful in the garden. They also chew plants, including lettuce, strawberries, celery, potatoes, dahlias, zinnias, butterfly bushes, young beans and beets, and corn silks. The damage looks like small, ragged holes in leaves and petals, and because earwigs feed at night, slugs and caterpillars often get the blame.

A few earwigs in the flower beds are usually more help than harm. Large numbers chewing seedlings, or earwigs coming into the house, are the point to act.

Why earwigs come inside

Earwigs look for dark, moist, cool places. Ohio State notes that during periods of heat and drought, which Oklahoma summers have plenty of, they move into homes to find shelter, often gathering around door and window frames. Once inside they head for damp rooms: bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens, under sinks and basements. Because they are active at night, they are also drawn to lights near doors.

Indoors they do not breed or settle in. Ohio State points out that earwigs do not become established indoors, which is why the fix starts outside.

How to get rid of earwigs

Outside first

1. Pull back the cover. Rake mulch, leaves and grass clippings back from the foundation, and move boards, stones, bricks and stacked pots away from the walls. These are the damp daytime hiding spots.
2. Fix the moisture. Repair leaky faucets and hoses, clean gutters, point downspouts away from the house and keep sprinklers from soaking the foundation.
3. Trap them. Ohio State suggests laying boards, canvas or heavy paper on mulch or around shrubs in the evening. Earwigs crawl underneath to hide. Early the next morning, shake them into a bucket of soapy water.
4. Mind the lights. Turn off porch and patio lights near doors when you do not need them.
5. Treat the perimeter if needed. Ohio State notes that a treatment around the foundation in spring, when young earwigs leave their nests, and again in midsummer if needed, cuts down the numbers heading for the house. Always follow the label.

Inside

• Sweep or vacuum them up and empty the vacuum outside.
• Seal the way in. Make sure ground-level doors and windows fit snugly; replace worn door sweeps and weatherstripping and caulk gaps at the foundation and around pipes.
• Dry damp rooms. Run a dehumidifier in damp basements and fix plumbing leaks. Drying the house also discourages centipedes, millipedes and pill bugs, which OSU Extension notes also depend on damp hiding places.

Indoor sprays on their own rarely solve an earwig problem, because the earwigs keep coming from outside. Ohio State says indoor treatment should only supplement outdoor work.

Earwigs and other moisture bugs

If you are seeing earwigs, you are probably seeing their neighbors too: pill bugs, sowbugs, millipedes and centipedes all hide in the same damp mulch and come in through the same gaps. Our Oklahoma bug ID guide covers each one, and our guide to a pest-free patio and deck has more on the outdoor side. For tiny red bugs on the same sunny walls in spring, see clover mites and chiggers.

When to call an exterminator for earwigs

Call when earwigs keep turning up indoors after you have cleared the foundation and sealed the doors, or when they are part of a bigger mix of moisture bugs. Emtec Pest Control has been the local exterminator for Oklahoma homes since 1979. We inspect the outside of the house to find where earwigs are hiding and getting in, treat the foundation and the damp spots they use, and point out the moisture and mulch problems to fix. We serve Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Owasso, Jenks, Bixby, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Stillwater, Oklahoma City and Edmond. See our preventative pest control service or contact us to schedule an inspection.