Earwigs

By The Pest Guide Team · Updated September 24, 2026
Edited by Fellipe Antequera · Editorial policy

You will rarely mistake an earwig for anything else once you spot the pair of curved, formidable pincers sticking out of its rear end. That aggressive-looking rear armament has fueled the old wives tale that these insects crawl into sleeping humans' ears to bore into the brain, but you can rest easy knowing that myth is pure folklore. Earwigs are harmless, slow-moving scavengers that lack venom, do not transmit disease, and could not care less about your ears. They just happen to possess a flattened, dark brown body that looks far more menacing than it actually is.

People often confuse earwigs with silverfish or centipedes because they all share a habit of startling you in a damp basement or scuttling across a bathroom floor at night. The quickest way to tell them apart is to look at the tail end. Silverfish drag three bristly filaments behind them and feature silvery scales, while centipedes are easy to spot by their dozens of long, jointed legs rather than the six legs of a true insect. Earwigs have neither of those traits, relying instead on those unmistakable rear forceps and a distinct preference for hiding under mulch outdoors until weather extremes drive them inside through your foundation cracks.