The most effective indoor earwig trap is a shallow container filled with equal parts soy sauce and vegetable oil. Earwigs are drawn to the soy sauce and drown in the oil. But traps alone won’t solve an indoor earwig problem if the conditions attracting them persist, so a combination of trapping, barrier methods, and moisture control works best.
The Oil and Soy Sauce Trap
Fill a shallow container (a tuna can, jar lid, or small dish) with a 50/50 mix of soy sauce and vegetable oil or olive oil. The soy sauce attracts earwigs with its fermented scent, and the oil coats them so they can’t escape. Place the containers in areas where you’ve seen earwigs, typically along baseboards, in bathrooms, near kitchen sinks, or in basement corners. Some people report catching 40 or more earwigs overnight with this method.
Oil traps can stay out for several days without needing a full refresh. The oil prevents evaporation and keeps dead earwigs submerged, so the trap stays functional longer than plain water. Once the container gets crowded with bugs or the liquid looks spent, dump it, rinse, and refill. Checking traps each morning gives you a sense of how active the problem is and whether numbers are declining.
Damp Newspaper Traps
Earwigs are nocturnal and spend daylight hours hiding in tight, moist spaces. A rolled-up newspaper mimics that environment perfectly. Cut a section of newspaper into four pieces, mist them lightly with water so they’re damp but not soaking, and roll them loosely together. You want the roll about the width of a garden hose, with plenty of crevices inside for earwigs to crawl into. Secure it with a rubber band or a strip of tape.
Set these traps out in the evening near problem areas. In the morning, pick up the whole roll, seal it in a plastic bag, and throw it away. The key with newspaper traps is daily disposal. If you leave them out without emptying, you’ve just built a cozy shelter that concentrates earwigs in your home rather than removing them.
Where to Place Indoor Traps
Earwigs gravitate toward moisture, darkness, and clutter. Indoors, that means bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements, under kitchen sinks, and near floor drains. If your basement has damp walls or water that drips onto the floor, that’s prime earwig territory. Place traps flush against walls and in corners, since earwigs tend to travel along edges rather than crossing open floor space.
If you’ve noticed earwigs near a specific door or window, set a trap on both sides of the entry point. Earwigs are also attracted to light, so rooms with bright fixtures near exterior doors can pull them inside at night. Placing a trap just inside those doorways catches many of them before they spread further into the house.
Diatomaceous Earth as a Barrier
Food-grade diatomaceous earth is a fine powder made from fossilized algae that works by damaging the waxy coating on an insect’s body, causing it to dehydrate and die. It’s not harmful to pets or children, making it a practical option for indoor use. Dust a thin line along baseboards, behind appliances, around drain openings, and in any crevice where earwigs might travel.
The one limitation is moisture. Once diatomaceous earth gets wet, it stops working entirely. In a damp basement, it won’t last long on the floor. Focus application on dry surfaces like cabinet interiors, behind toilets (on dry tile), and along the top edges of baseboards where splashing water won’t reach. Reapply after cleaning or any time the powder gets disturbed.
Why Earwigs Come Inside
Understanding what drives earwigs indoors helps you stop them at the source. They normally live outdoors in moist soil under rocks, mulch, or leaf litter. They move inside when outdoor conditions become too hot, too dry, or too cold. A sudden temperature drop or a dry spell can push dozens of them toward your foundation in search of moisture and shelter.
The most common entry points are gaps around poorly sealed doors and windows, crevices where the foundation meets siding, unscreened attic or foundation vents, and access doors to crawl spaces. Earwigs don’t need much space to squeeze through. If you can see daylight under an exterior door, earwigs can get in.
Reducing Moisture and Entry Points
Traps manage the earwigs already inside, but moisture control and sealing entry points prevent new ones from arriving. Fix leaky faucets and pipes, especially in basements and crawl spaces. Repair drain spouts so water moves away from the foundation rather than pooling against it. Ventilate crawl spaces to reduce humidity, and use a dehumidifier in damp basements.
Outside the house, clear away materials that give earwigs shelter near your walls: ivy, ground cover, bark mulch piled against the foundation, leaf litter, woodpiles, and debris in gutters. These create a staging area where earwigs build up in large numbers right next to your home. Moving that habitat even a few feet from the structure makes a noticeable difference. Seal visible gaps around doors, windows, and utility penetrations with weatherstripping or caulk.
For earwigs you spot wandering across a floor or wall, a vacuum cleaner is the simplest solution. Just empty the canister or bag promptly afterward, since earwigs can crawl back out if left alive inside.