Earwigs end up inside your house because they’re chasing moisture and shelter, not because they want to live there. They don’t breed indoors, they don’t transmit diseases, and they’re not interested in crawling into your ears (despite the name). The good news: getting rid of them is straightforward once you cut off what’s drawing them in and block how they’re getting through.
Why Earwigs Come Inside
Earwigs are nocturnal and need damp, dark hiding spots during the day. Outdoors, they tuck themselves under mulch, stones, leaf litter, and firewood. When conditions get too hot, too dry, or too wet outside, they migrate toward your foundation looking for a more stable environment. From there, they slip through any gap they can find.
The most common entry points are cracks in the foundation, gaps around window and door frames, spaces where pipes and cables penetrate exterior walls, torn window screens, and door sweeps that no longer sit flush against the threshold. Once inside, they gravitate toward bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and basements, anywhere humidity is higher. They don’t establish colonies indoors the way ants or roaches do. Most earwig “infestations” are really just a steady trickle of individuals wandering in from outside, which means the real fix happens at your home’s perimeter.
Seal Entry Points First
The single most effective step is physical exclusion. Caulk gaps around window frames, door frames, and utility penetrations like pipes and cable lines. Seal foundation cracks with masonry caulk for hairline fractures or hydraulic cement for wider gaps. Replace torn window screens and worn door sweeps. If you have vents with factory louvers that don’t close tightly, cover them with fine mesh screening.
This won’t happen in an afternoon, but even sealing the most obvious gaps, especially around basement windows and ground-level doors, can cut the number of earwigs getting inside dramatically.
Reduce Moisture Around Your Foundation
Because earwigs follow moisture, drying out the perimeter of your home makes it far less attractive to them. A few targeted changes make a big difference:
- Water your garden early in the day, not at dusk. This gives soil and mulch time to dry before earwigs come out to forage overnight.
- Clean gutters and downspouts twice a year and redirect discharge at least three feet from your foundation.
- Fix leaky spigots and hose connections as soon as you notice dripping.
- Rake mulch back a few inches from your siding and leave that strip bare and dry.
- Move firewood and lumber at least 20 feet from the house and store it off the ground on a rack.
Inside, check crawl spaces and basements for condensation. If humidity stays above 50%, run a dehumidifier. A dry basement is one earwigs have no reason to stay in.
Trap Earwigs That Are Already Inside
For earwigs currently in your house, trapping works well and doesn’t involve any chemicals. The simplest indoor method is a rolled-up damp newspaper or a damp towel left on the floor overnight near where you’ve been seeing them. Earwigs will crawl inside to hide. In the morning, pick it up and shake it out into a bucket of soapy water, or just toss the whole thing outside far from your house.
For outdoor trapping near your foundation, a soy sauce and oil trap is surprisingly effective. Fill a small container (a yogurt cup or tuna tin works) about one-third full with water. Add two tablespoons of soy sauce and pour in just enough vegetable oil to form a thin layer on the surface. The soy sauce attracts earwigs, and the oil layer prevents them from climbing back out. Bury the container so its rim sits just above soil level, then prop a larger lid over it with small stones to keep rain out while leaving gaps for earwigs to crawl under. Leave it for a few days, dump the contents, and refill. Place several of these traps along the foundation on the side of your house where you see the most earwigs.
When to Use Outdoor Treatments
Spraying insecticides inside your house is not recommended for earwigs. UC’s Integrated Pest Management Program is clear on this: indoor pesticide use won’t prevent earwigs from entering and does little to stop invasions. The bugs coming inside are transients from outside, so killing a few indoors doesn’t address the source.
If trapping and exclusion aren’t enough, outdoor treatments around your foundation can help. Baits containing spinosad are the most effective and environmentally sound option. Sprinkle them around the base of your home where earwigs may be entering. Dampening the bait after application softens it and makes it more attractive. Apply at night, since that’s when earwigs are active, and start before the problem gets severe rather than waiting for peak numbers.
Diatomaceous earth (the food-grade type) is another non-toxic option. It works by damaging the waxy coating on an insect’s body, causing it to dehydrate. Sprinkle it in a thin line along your foundation, around basement window wells, and near any entry points you haven’t sealed yet. The main limitation is that it becomes ineffective when wet, so you’ll need to reapply after rain or watering.
Ready-to-use perimeter sprays are widely available at hardware stores and can create a chemical barrier along your foundation. These are a reasonable option if you’re dealing with large numbers, but they’re rarely necessary when the cultural practices above are followed consistently.
What to Expect and How Long It Takes
Earwig pressure is seasonal. They’re most active in late spring and summer, and indoor sightings typically peak during hot, dry stretches or after heavy rain, both of which push them toward your foundation. You may not eliminate every single earwig that wanders inside, but the combination of sealing entry points, reducing exterior moisture, and trapping can take you from seeing several a day to spotting one occasionally.
Most people notice a significant drop within one to two weeks of implementing perimeter changes and trapping. The key is consistency: keep traps refreshed, keep the foundation zone dry, and seal new gaps as you find them. Earwigs aren’t dangerous and don’t damage your home, so the goal is management rather than total eradication. Once you’ve addressed the moisture and entry points, the problem tends to resolve itself as the season cools.