What Are Earwigs? (a.k.a. \"Pincher Bugs\")

An earwig is a slender, reddish-brown insect (about half an inch to an inch long) best known for the curved pincers — called forceps — at the tip of its abdomen, which is why people call it a 'pincher bug.' Earwigs eat plants and decaying matter, are active at night, and are harmless to humans despite their look and the old ear myth.

What does an earwig look like?

Earwigs have a long, flattened, reddish-brown to dark-brown body, thread-like antennae, and six legs — but the giveaway is the pair of curved pincers (forceps) sticking out the back end. Males have stout, strongly curved pincers; females' are straighter. Most are half an inch to an inch long. Many species have short, leathery wing covers with membranous wings folded underneath, though you'll rarely see them open.

Why are they called 'pincher bugs'?

The nickname comes straight from those rear forceps. Earwigs use them for defense, for catching prey, and during courtship — and they'll raise them like tiny tongs if you corner one. If you pick an earwig up it may give a light pinch, but it's harmless. The name 'earwig' itself comes from an old, false folk belief, not from anything they actually do.

What do earwigs eat?

Earwigs are omnivores and opportunists. Outdoors they feed on decaying plant matter, mosses, and small insects and their eggs — which makes them partly beneficial — but they also chew live plants, especially tender seedlings, soft fruit, and flower petals. That garden appetite is why Central Valley gardeners treat them as a pest. Indoors they'll scavenge crumbs, pet food, and houseplants.

Do earwigs fly?

A few species can fly in short, clumsy bursts, but most earwigs you'll meet don't — they're far more likely to run for cover. The common earwig has wings but rarely uses them. So if something flew at you, it probably wasn't an earwig; if it scuttled under a pot, it very likely was.

Earwig eggs and life cycle (and what baby earwigs look like)

Earwigs are famous among insects for maternal care: the female lays a clutch of 20 to 80 round, pearly eggs in an underground chamber and then guards and cleans them until they hatch — unusual devotion for a bug. The young (nymphs) look like small, pale, soft versions of the adults, with tiny pincers, and darken through several molts. Most Central Valley earwigs produce one or two generations a year.

Where earwigs live and why they come indoors

Earwigs are moisture-lovers that hide by day in damp, dark cover — under mulch, ground cover, mats, pots, wood, and leaf litter — and forage at night. In Fresno and Clovis, irrigated yards and mulched beds build big spring populations. When summer heat dries the surface, they move toward moisture, which often means crossing the threshold into garages, bathrooms, and kitchens. They don't breed indoors; the ones inside wandered in from outside.

Are earwigs harmful?

To people, no — they don't spread disease, they're not venomous, and the ear myth is just that. To gardens, they can be a real nuisance when populations are high, shredding seedlings and soft fruit overnight. The fix is controlling the damp outdoor harborage they breed in.

When to call a pro

If earwigs are showing up indoors in numbers or chewing through your garden every night, the outdoor population has gotten ahead of you. A professional treats the harborage and perimeter and helps seal entry points, which solves it outside-in. Total Pest Control handles earwigs across Fresno and the Central Valley.

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Earwig FAQ