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Do earwigs go in your ear?

Contrary to old myths about earwigs, they do not crawl in people’s ears. The tale of earwigs is that they would enter people through their ears and burrow themselves into the brain where they would lay their eggs. This however is not scientifically backed and holds no truth, as earwigs do not have an interest in crawling in people’s ears. But make sure to clean out your own ears, just to be safe.

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What kills earwigs?

There are numerous methods and substances that kill earwigs. Pesticides that include diatomaceous earth, permethrin, esfenvalerate, bifenthrin, pyrethrin, carbaryl, malathion, and azadirachtin all will effectively penetrate an earwig’s skin and kill them. Substances that can drown an earwig such as soap and water, alcoholic based mixtures, or oil-based liquids can all potentially lure and kill earwigs. Natural options such as predators (birds, frogs, centipedes), vacuuming, and good old-fashioned shoe bottoms are all potential dangers for an earwig’s life.

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What good are earwigs?

While earwigs are known to be a scary looking, anti-social night scavenger, they are a very beneficial insect ecologically speaking. Known as environmental janitors, earwigs will feast on dead and decaying plants and insects. This is great for keeping a garden clean and maintaining the look and feel of the greenery. They can however become a true pest when they run out of dead and decaying materials, as they will then move on to living plants and vegetation to feed on, thus potentially wreaking havoc on a gardener’s plant life. An earwig’s lifestyle certainly runs along the line of being a beneficial insect and a household pest.

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