They are normally found in the soil around the outside of a home where they feed on plant matter. Earwigs are about 5/8” long, with a flat, Reddish brown body and very short wings. They are distinctive because they possess a pair of strong pinchers on the tip of their abdomen. Earwigs are most active at night and hide during the day in damp confined areas.
Earwigs can enter buildings during the summer through any crack in the foundation. Fortunately, they don’t do any damage to your property or eat our food. They don’t reproduce indoors but they are nuisances by their presence and they also give off a very offensive odor. Earwigs can also cause problems in gardens as they feed on flowers and seedling plants.
You can reduce the numbers of earwigs around your home by cleaning up debris such as leaves, debris, and other materials lying around the house where the earwigs can hide. Caulking and sealing cracks in your home foundation, around pipes, doors, etc. can help prevent earwigs from getting into your home but they can be very determined. Insects on the inside of your home can be vacuumed or swept up.
If these procedures do not produce acceptable results, consider purchasing and using an insecticide. Be sure to read the label of the product you are using to make certain that it is registered for use against earwigs in and around residential buildings. Most homeowners prefer to contact a professional pest control operator to help them solve this problem.