Earwig Control in Aspen

How to Identify Earwigs Around Your Home

The European earwig occurs throughout most of Colorado, including mountain regions. It’s recognizable by the pair of forceps at the rear of its body, which it uses mainly for defense and capturing prey rather than to pursue or harm people.

Earwigs hide during the day in dark, tight spaces that retain moisture. At night, they emerge to feed and move among garden beds, foundation debris, window wells, and other sheltered areas. Activity in Colorado commonly peaks from mid-July through mid-September, when seasonal conditions are warm and moist.

The belief that earwigs intentionally crawl into people’s ears has little basis in fact. Handling an earwig or accidentally sitting on one can cause a mildly painful pinch, but earwigs aren’t considered a serious threat to people. Outdoors, they also eat insects such as aphids and can provide a measure of natural pest control in gardens.

Earwig Prevention for Aspen Homes & Gardens

Physical exclusion and moisture management can reduce the number of earwigs moving indoors. Focus on areas where exterior shelter meets the foundation, particularly near doors, windows, vents, and window wells.

Practical prevention steps include:

• Seal gaps: Close openings around doors, windows, and vents that earwigs can use to enter living spaces.
• Remove nearby shelter: Clear debris, excess mulch, and other sheltering material away from foundations, doorways, and window wells.
• Reduce moisture: Keep the cleared area beside the foundation relatively dry so it’s less suitable for daytime earwig shelter.
• Set simple traps: Place rolled, moistened newspaper or corrugated cardboard containing wheat bran or wheat germ in areas with visible activity.
• Empty traps regularly: Collect the traps every two to three days and discard the captured earwigs.