The most effective way to get rid of earwigs is to manage the conditions attracting them outside: remove damp hiding places, reduce excess moisture, trap confirmed populations, and seal the routes they use to enter. Indoor spraying is usually not the best first step because it does not stop new earwigs from coming inside.
Earwigs are mainly a nuisance indoors. They are active at night, hide during the day, and usually enter homes from nearby mulch, leaves, dense vegetation, flowerpots, debris, or damp areas when outdoor conditions become too hot, dry, or cold. Use the nine methods below in order, starting with confirmation and prevention.
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Are earwigs worth controlling?
Not every earwig sighting requires an insecticide treatment. Earwigs can damage seedlings, flowers, soft fruit, and corn silks, but they also eat aphids and other small insects. Control is justified when you see repeated indoor entry, clear plant damage, or an outdoor population that has become an unacceptable nuisance. [CIT-001]
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsIndoor earwigs are generally annoying rather than dangerous to people. They have little food available inside a typical home and often die if they cannot return outdoors. The practical goal is therefore to remove their outdoor shelter and moisture sources, then block entry.
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1. Confirm that earwigs are causing the problem
Before changing the landscape or applying any product, make sure earwigs are actually responsible for the damage. Their feeding can resemble damage from caterpillars, slugs, or other nighttime pests.
Inspect the affected area after dark with a flashlight, when earwigs are most active. Adult European earwigs are reddish-brown and roughly three-quarters of an inch long, with prominent forceps-like appendages at the rear. Look beneath leaves, pots, boards, mulch, and other objects near the damaged plants. [CIT-001]
Also check whether the damage pattern fits the suspected pest. Earwigs may chew irregular holes in soft plant tissue and damage flowers, seedlings, fruit, or corn silks. If nighttime inspection finds slugs, caterpillars, beetles, or no insects at all, earwig control may not solve the underlying problem.
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2. Remove hiding places around the house
Earwigs seek dark, cool, damp shelter during the day. A construction-site approach is useful here: inspect the perimeter as if you were looking for places where water, debris, and insects can collect.
- Clear leaf piles, boards, cardboard, boxes, trash, loose bark, and other debris.
- Pull weeds and reduce dense vines or ground cover next to the foundation.
- Move flowerpots, bags of soil, lumber, garden tools, and decorative objects away from vulnerable plants and exterior walls.
- Keep mulch and dense vegetation from directly contacting the foundation where practical.
- Remove fallen fruit and other decaying organic material from around fruit trees.
Do not simply move the debris from one side of the foundation to another. Relocate it well away from doors, windows, exterior walls, and plants you are trying to protect. Removing shelter makes the area less suitable for earwigs and also makes later trapping more effective. [CIT-001] [CIT-003]
3. Reduce excess moisture
Moisture control is one of the most important long-term steps because earwigs are attracted to damp refuge. Walk around the property after irrigation or rainfall and look for places that remain wet longer than surrounding areas.
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- Repair leaking outdoor faucets, hose connections, downspouts, gutters, and irrigation lines.
- Extend downspouts so roof runoff is discharged away from the foundation.
- Correct grading or drainage problems that leave water beside the house.
- Keep routine irrigation away from the foundation and use drip irrigation where it is practical.
- Ventilate damp crawl spaces and investigate persistent moisture under porches or decks.
- Avoid creating continually wet pockets beneath dense ground cover or stored materials.
Moisture reduction does not mean allowing landscape plants to dry out. It means watering deliberately while eliminating unnecessary, persistent dampness around the structure. If water is entering a crawl space, basement, or wall assembly, address that building problem rather than relying on pest spray.
4. Trap earwigs with rolled paper, cardboard, bamboo, or hose
Trapping is a low-risk way to reduce earwigs around infested plants without broad pesticide application. Just before dark, place rolled newspapers, corrugated cardboard, bamboo tubes, or short pieces of garden hose near the affected plants or along the foundation.
- Place the traps in sheltered areas where earwigs are likely to travel.
- Leave them overnight.
- In the morning, empty the traps into soapy water or a sealed container.
- Replace the traps before dark.
- Continue daily until captures decline substantially.
These traps work because earwigs use dark, narrow spaces as daytime shelter. They are most useful when combined with removal of other hiding places. If the landscape offers abundant mulch, boards, weeds, and moisture, a few traps will not remove the reason earwigs are present.
For readers who prefer a ready-made version of this method, earwig traps can provide a convenient alternative to homemade paper or hose traps. Treat them as monitoring and capture tools—not guaranteed cures—and position them according to their instructions. Product availability and suitability vary by location. [CIT-001] [CIT-005]
5. Set low-sided oil traps
A low-sided oil trap can capture earwigs near gardens, trees, or foundation plantings. Sink a tuna can, cat-food can, or similar shallow container into the soil so the rim is approximately level with the ground. Add vegetable oil and a small amount of fish oil or bacon grease to provide an odor that attracts earwigs.
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Check the traps regularly, remove captured insects, and refresh the contents as needed. Place them where they will not be tipped over by pets, children, irrigation, or wildlife. Keep oil traps away from edible food-handling areas, and dispose of the contents responsibly rather than pouring used oil into a drain or stormwater system. [CIT-001] [CIT-005]
Oil traps are most appropriate for outdoor capture. They should not replace correction of a leaking downspout, drainage failure, or other moisture source that is sustaining the population.
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6. Protect fruit trees and vulnerable plants with physical barriers
Earwigs can climb trees to reach ripening soft fruit, particularly stone fruit. Physical protection is most useful when you have confirmed that earwigs are climbing the trunk or feeding on fruit.
- Remove weeds, suckers, leaf litter, and other refuge from around the trunk.
- Harvest ripe fruit promptly and remove fallen or damaged fruit.
- Keep branches and dense vegetation from creating an easy bridge to the tree.
- Where appropriate, apply a commercially sold sticky tree-insect adhesive barrier to the trunk.
Follow the barrier product’s instructions carefully. Do not apply adhesive directly to bark or plant tissue unless the label specifically permits that use, and inspect the barrier regularly. A sticky barrier is a targeted physical measure for climbing insects; it will not control earwigs already living in mulch or debris in the canopy or soil.
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Tree barriers also need to be managed with care around beneficial insects and wildlife. Use only a product intended for the application and site, and do not allow adhesive to contact pets, children, clothing, or unintended animals. [CIT-001] [CIT-005]
7. Remove indoor earwigs mechanically
For the occasional earwig indoors, sweeping or vacuuming is usually more effective than spraying. Capture the insect, empty the vacuum promptly, and dispose of it so the earwig cannot escape and reinvade.
Pay particular attention to rooms adjoining exterior doors, garages, basements, crawl-space access points, and ground-level windows. Indoor removal addresses the immediate nuisance, while exclusion and outdoor habitat reduction address the source.
Indoor pesticide applications generally do little to prevent new earwigs from entering. They may also expose occupants and pets to an unnecessary treatment when the insects are coming from outdoor shelter. UC IPM generally does not recommend indoor insecticide applications as the primary solution for earwigs. [CIT-001] [CIT-002]
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After removing outdoor harborage, inspect the building envelope for entry points. Seal cracks and gaps around:
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- Exterior doors and thresholds
- Window frames and screens
- Foundation penetrations
- Utility pipes, conduits, and cables
- Garage doors
- Crawl-space vents and access doors
- Porch, deck, and siding transitions
Use an exterior-rated sealant where appropriate, repair damaged screens, and install or replace door sweeps and weatherstripping that no longer close tightly. Do not seal over active water leaks or block required ventilation; correct the building condition using a suitable repair first.
If outdoor lighting appears to draw insects toward doors or walls, replace bright white lighting with yellow-toned lighting where practical. This may reduce attraction, although it cannot compensate for major moisture or harborage problems. [CIT-001] [CIT-003]
9. Use a labeled outdoor pesticide only as a last resort
If sanitation, moisture reduction, exclusion, and trapping have not provided adequate control, an outdoor pesticide may be considered—but only after identifying the exact site and reading the current product label.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11UC IPM identifies products containing spinosad as one possible option where insecticides are desired. That does not mean every spinosad product is labeled for every lawn, ornamental plant, fruit tree, foundation, or state. Formulations, permitted sites, application rates, timing, reentry instructions, and harvest intervals can differ.
Before purchasing or applying any pesticide:
- Confirm that the current label lists earwigs and the intended outdoor site.
- Check whether the product is permitted for the specific crop, ornamental plant, lawn, foundation, or landscape area.
- Follow the label’s mixing, application, protective-equipment, storage, and disposal directions exactly.
- Keep people, pets, food, and toys away as directed.
- Protect pollinators, aquatic areas, beneficial insects, and neighboring property from drift and runoff.
- Observe any reentry or preharvest interval stated on the label.
EPA states that pesticide labels are legally enforceable and that using a pesticide in a way inconsistent with its label is illegal. Baits may also perform poorly when earwigs have abundant alternative food sources outdoors. Do not use an indoor spray simply because earwigs were found inside, and do not assume a product marketed for a different insect or location is appropriate. [CIT-001] [CIT-006] [CIT-007]
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A practical earwig-control sequence
For most homes, this sequence is more reliable than starting with chemicals:
- Inspect at night and identify the insect and the location of feeding or entry.
- Correct water problems such as leaking downspouts, irrigation, plumbing, or poor drainage.
- Remove shelter from the foundation and affected planting areas.
- Set traps near confirmed activity and empty them every morning.
- Protect specific plants with barriers and sanitation where needed.
- Vacuum indoor insects rather than spraying the room.
- Seal entry points around doors, windows, screens, and utility penetrations.
- Reassess after several days of dry conditions and trapping.
- Consider a labeled outdoor treatment only if the problem remains significant.
When to call a professional
Occasional earwigs near a door usually do not require professional treatment. Consider contacting a licensed pest-control professional when earwigs are widespread, repeatedly returning despite moisture and exclusion repairs, entering through inaccessible building cavities, or associated with a persistent crawl-space, drainage, or landscape problem.
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A qualified professional should assess the source—not simply spray indoors. Ask for an inspection of foundation gaps, door and window seals, crawl spaces, irrigation, downspouts, grading, mulch, and dense vegetation. If treatment is proposed, ask which product is being used, where it will be applied, what the label permits, and what precautions apply to occupants, pets, plants, pollinators, and runoff.
For an ordinary occasional sighting, professional treatment is usually unnecessary. For a recurring infestation tied to a moisture or building-envelope defect, professional inspection can be more valuable than repeated pesticide applications.
Safety reminders
- Keep traps, oils, tools, and pesticides away from children, pets, and wildlife.
- Do not pour oil, pesticide mixtures, or contaminated rinse water into drains or stormwater systems.
- Never use a pesticide indoors unless the current label specifically permits that indoor use.
- Never exceed the label rate or apply a product to an unlisted crop, surface, or landscape site.
- Store products in their original labeled containers and dispose of them according to local requirements.
- Use caution with sticky barriers so they do not trap birds, beneficial insects, pets, or other unintended animals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do earwigs infest houses?
Earwigs can enter homes, especially when outdoor conditions become unusually hot, dry, or cold, but indoor conditions usually provide little food and they generally do not establish a lasting indoor infestation. Seal entry points and reduce outdoor moisture and shelter rather than relying on indoor spraying.
What is the fastest way to get rid of earwigs indoors?
Vacuum or sweep them up and dispose of them promptly. Then inspect nearby doors, windows, foundations, crawl-space openings, mulch, vegetation, and damp areas to prevent more from entering.
Do earwigs bite people?
Earwigs are not generally considered a dangerous household pest. Their rear forceps can pinch if they are handled, but indoor earwigs are primarily an annoyance rather than a health hazard.
Will insecticide stop earwigs from coming inside?
Indoor insecticide usually does not stop new earwigs from entering. Exclusion, removal of outdoor hiding places, moisture reduction, and trapping are more useful first steps. If an outdoor pesticide is necessary, use only a product whose current label permits the intended site and pest.
How long does it take to get rid of earwigs?
A few days of nightly trapping and morning removal can reduce a localized population, but lasting control depends on correcting moisture, debris, vegetation, and entry-point problems. Repeated activity after those steps may indicate a hidden refuge or building drainage issue.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Confirm earwigs at night, dry and declutter the perimeter, trap them outdoors, protect vulnerable plants, vacuum indoor insects, and seal entry points. Reserve pesticides for significant outdoor problems that persist after these measures, and always follow the current legal product label.
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