About the Earwig
APPEARANCE
Earwigs are easily recognizable by their pincers (forceps harmless to humans) at the ends of their abdomen. They are dark reddish-brown, with light brown legs, and are about 5/8 inch long.
BIOLOGY
In a season, females reproduce up to 20-60 eggs laid in burrows (called chambers), 2 to 3 inches beneath the soil. Most species have one generation a year, over-wintering in the soil. Both adults and the young require moisture to live.
HABITS
They are primarily nocturnal, feeding at night. They are scavengers, eating primarily dead insects and decomposing plant materials. Some species are attracted to lights. During the day, they will seek shelter under organic matter such as mulch, pine straw, leaf litter, and other debris. They prefer dark and damp areas like under sidewalks, and stones. They eat live plants and can do damage to field crops. They are found in homes and can get in through entry points like doors and windows, and by going up the foundation. Their populations build up around foundations. They produce large populations rather quickly and are often a major problem in new subdivisions. Earwigs live in habitats that also harbor centipedes, sow bugs (roly-poly), and millipedes.