Central Iowa Pest Guide
Earwigs in Central Iowa: Facts, Myths & Home Remedies
Earwigs are the pincer-tailed insects that turn up in damp basements, under mulch, and in bathrooms around Des Moines. They are moisture pests — fix the moisture and you fix the earwigs.
What Are Earwigs?
The European earwig (Forficula auricularia) is a slender, reddish-brown insect three-quarters of an inch long with prominent pincers (cerci) at the rear.
The pincers are used for defense and handling prey. Earwigs do not crawl into ears or into brains — that is folklore with no basis.
They are nocturnal scavengers that eat decaying plant matter, algae, and other small insects, and they hide in tight, damp spaces during the day.
Earwigs are unusual among insects in that the mother guards her eggs and young. Populations build in mulch, leaf litter, and under stones.
Signs of Earwigs in Your Home
- Insects with rear pincers found in basements, floor drains, bathrooms, and under sinks
- Large numbers under mulch, flower pots, boards, stones, and in gutters
- Ragged, irregular holes chewed in the leaves and petals of garden plants overnight
Why Earwigs Matter
Earwigs are harmless to people — they do not spread disease and rarely pinch hard enough to matter — but they are unsettling indoors and can damage seedlings, dahlias, and soft fruit in the garden.
When Earwigs Are Active in Central Iowa
Central Iowa earwig activity runs April through October, spiking after heavy rain and in especially humid stretches, and again during droughts when they move indoors seeking moisture.
Home Remedies & DIY Control
- 1Dry out the perimeter: clean gutters, extend downspouts, regrade so water drains away, and keep mulch to two or three inches and pulled back from the foundation.
- 2Remove daytime hiding places within a few feet of the house — boards, stones, flower pots, dense ground cover, and leaf litter.
- 3Run a dehumidifier in the basement and fix plumbing leaks and condensation problems.
- 4Seal cracks in the foundation, around basement windows and window wells, and along door thresholds.
- 5Trap them with rolled-up damp newspaper, short sections of old garden hose, or a shallow tuna can of vegetable oil set out overnight; empty traps each morning.
- 6Water gardens in the morning rather than the evening so surfaces dry before earwigs become active.
- 7Sweep or vacuum up any that get inside — indoor insecticide sprays are unnecessary because earwigs cannot reproduce and thrive in dry indoor conditions.
When to Call a Professional
If large numbers keep entering despite moisture and habitat corrections, a professional exterior perimeter treatment plus targeted crack-and-crevice work will stop the migration.
Voice calls only — this line does not receive text messages
Government & University Sources
- Iowa State University Extension — Earwigs
- University of California IPM — Earwigs Pest Notes
- U.S. EPA — Introduction to Integrated Pest Management
This article is general educational information for central Iowa homeowners, not professional, medical, or legal advice. Always read and follow pesticide label directions.