Earwig season runs from late June through October in most of the United States, with the highest indoor activity in July and August. That’s when these moisture-loving insects are fully grown, actively feeding, and most likely to wander into your home through cracks and gaps near the foundation.
When Earwigs Are Most Active
The earwig calendar starts earlier than most people realize. Adults overwinter underground or in sheltered spots, and females begin laying eggs in late winter, tucking clusters of 30 or more into small cells they dig in the soil. Those eggs hatch in spring, and the tiny nymphs emerge from nests between late May and early June. By late June or early July, they’ve matured into adults with fully developed pincers and wings.
From that point, earwigs are active through the fall. Their peak season for garden feeding and general outdoor presence stretches from late June to October. But the window most people care about, when earwigs start showing up inside, is narrower: July and August are the months when they enter homes in the largest numbers. Hot, dry weather drives them toward the moisture they need to survive, and your bathroom, basement, or kitchen often fits the bill.
Geography shifts the timeline. In hotter parts of California and the desert Southwest, earwigs may actually go quiet during the hottest summer weeks, becoming relatively inactive until temperatures cool. In milder coastal climates, some populations stay active year-round. Northern states see a more compressed season, with activity dropping off sharply once fall temperatures set in.
Why Earwigs Come Inside
Earwigs are nocturnal and need damp, dark environments to thrive. During the day they hide under mulch, stones, boards, flower pots, and leaf litter. At night they come out to feed. When outdoor conditions turn too hot or too dry, they migrate toward any structure that offers moisture and shelter. That’s why you’ll often find them in bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements, and around leaky pipes or drains.
The insects don’t come inside to breed or establish colonies the way ants or termites do. They’re simply looking for a comfortable microclimate. A few common conditions make your home more attractive to them: mulch or ground cover piled against the foundation, poor drainage that keeps soil wet near exterior walls, gaps around door sweeps and window frames, and cracks in the foundation or siding. Outdoor lighting near doors also draws them in, since earwigs are attracted to light at night and then slip through any opening they find nearby.
What Earwigs Do in Your Garden
Earwigs are omnivores, and their relationship with your garden is genuinely mixed. They feed on soft plant tissue, chewing irregular holes in leaves, flower petals, and soft fruit like strawberries. Seedlings and young transplants are particularly vulnerable because earwigs can eat through tender stems overnight. Dahlias, marigolds, zinnias, lettuce, and celery are common targets.
On the other hand, earwigs also eat aphids, mites, and insect eggs. In orchards and some vegetable gardens, they can be net beneficial by keeping pest populations in check. The trouble is that when earwig numbers spike in midsummer, the balance tips and plant damage becomes noticeable. If you’re finding ragged holes in leaves and petals with no visible caterpillars or slugs during the day, earwigs feeding at night are a likely cause. You can confirm by going out with a flashlight after dark.
Are Earwigs Harmful to People?
Despite the old myth that earwigs crawl into human ears, they don’t. And those curved pincers at the tail end look far more dangerous than they are. The pincers are used mostly for defense and courtship. Males have larger, more curved pincers than females, whose pincers are straighter. If you pick up an earwig and it pinches you, you’ll barely feel it. They don’t bite, sting, or transmit diseases.
The one mildly unpleasant defense mechanism: when threatened, earwigs can release a yellowish-brown liquid from glands on their abdomen. It smells foul but is harmless. So while finding a cluster of earwigs under a pot or inside a shoe is startling, it’s not a health concern.
Keeping Earwigs Out of Your Home
The most effective prevention targets moisture and entry points, not pesticides. Start outside by pulling mulch, wood chips, and ground cover at least six to twelve inches away from your foundation. Fix leaky outdoor faucets and make sure downspouts direct water well away from the house. Remove piles of leaves, boards, or stones near exterior walls, since these are daytime hiding spots that put earwigs right next to your home.
Seal gaps around doors, windows, utility pipes, and dryer vents with caulk or weatherstripping. Replace damaged door sweeps. Inside, reduce moisture by running exhaust fans in bathrooms and fixing any plumbing leaks. A dehumidifier in a damp basement makes the space far less inviting.
For earwigs already in the garden, simple traps work well. Roll up sections of damp newspaper or lay short pieces of garden hose among your plants in the evening. Earwigs will crawl inside overnight seeking shelter. In the morning, shake them into a bucket of soapy water. Repeating this nightly for a week or two during peak season can significantly reduce their numbers without chemicals. You can also try shallow containers of vegetable oil sunk into the soil near affected plants. Earwigs are attracted to the oil and drown in it.
Switching outdoor lighting near doors from white bulbs to yellow or sodium vapor bulbs also helps, since these wavelengths attract fewer insects overall and reduce the number of earwigs congregating at your entryways after dark.