📋 Steps
1
Confirm earwigs and rule out other causes
Earwigs: 12-20mm; brown; distinctive rear pincers (forceps). The pincers are harmless — they're used for courtship and defense, not attack. Earwigs found indoors indicate excess moisture and outdoor populations near the foundation.
2
Reduce exterior habitat at the foundation
Remove leaf piles, mulch, and decaying wood from the foundation. Earwigs require moist organic material to shelter in. A bare gravel or stone zone 18 inches wide at the foundation eliminates the prime harborage zone.
3
Apply bifenthrin perimeter spray
Apply bifenthrin (0.5 fl oz per gallon) along the foundation, under boards and wood, and in mulch areas. Focus on shaded, moist areas where earwigs concentrate. Repeat every 60 days during active season.
4
Place rolled newspaper or cardboard traps
Wet newspaper or cardboard placed near entry points at dusk collects earwigs overnight — they shelter in the dampened material. Collect and dispose each morning. This is highly effective at reducing local populations near the structure.
5
Use a dehumidifier in damp basement areas
Earwigs require high humidity. A basement dehumidifier maintaining below 50% RH significantly reduces the attractiveness of basement areas to earwigs that do enter.
💡 Tips
- Earwig pincer marks on plants (irregular notching of leaf edges) are commonly misidentified as slug damage — check for earwigs under plant pots and debris at night
- The population explosion that drives earwig invasions is usually preceded by a wet spring that allows large numbers of eggs to survive — manage early to prevent summer peak numbers
- Earwigs are actually beneficial in gardens — they eat aphids, insect eggs, and decaying plant material. Consider tolerating them in garden areas away from the structure
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