Earwigs can't be bought. The way to get more in the garden is to create the right conditions, and here's how.
What does it look like?
The common European earwig (Forficula auricularia) is brown, up to 13 to 15mm long, with a distinctive pair of pincers (forceps) at the rear end. The pincers look alarming but are harmless, and are sometimes raised in self-defence rather than used to bite. A smaller species, the lesser earwig (Labia minor), around 6mm long, turns up in compost heaps.
Life cycle
Earwigs breed twice a year, with batches of eggs laid in the soil in midwinter and again in early summer; females stay with their eggs until they hatch, and the nymphs look like small versions of the adults. Earwigs overwinter as adults in the soil and other sheltered places, and are largely nocturnal, feeding at night from late spring to early autumn.
How to encourage it
RHS's own suggestion for encouraging earwigs on fruit trees is an upturned flower pot loosely stuffed with hay or straw, tied onto a cane among the branches. Earwigs shelter in it by day, and it doubles as a way to keep tabs on numbers.
What it helps control
Myths about earwigs
5 common claims about earwigs, checked: 2 busted2 disputed0 untested1 hold up
“Earwigs crawl into people's ears while they sleep and can burrow into the brain”
The earwig's name comes from Old English for 'ear beetle', but that's a reference to the fanned shape of its folded hindwing (thought to resemble a human ear), not to any habit of climbing into ears. There's no evidence earwigs seek out ears at all; they shelter by day in damp, dark places like log piles, stone piles and leaf litter, and that preference doesn't change just because a person is lying still nearby.
Our read The brain-burrowing detail is an embellishment that gets added as the myth gets retold; even the basic ear-crawling version has no biological basis to back it up.
What to do: No action needed. Earwigs have no interest in human ears; log piles, mulch and compost heaps are where they actually want to be.
1 source
- The Wildlife TrustsDespite the earwig's name and its popular reputation, the common earwig will not crawl into your ear while you sleep; it much prefers a log or stone pile.
“An earwig's pincers are strong enough to give you a painful pinch or bite”
The rear pincers (forceps) that make earwigs instantly recognisable look intimidating but are described as harmless to people. They're sometimes raised in a defensive display when an earwig is disturbed, which is likely where the pinch reputation comes from, but this is a threat posture rather than a real hazard to a gardener's fingers.
What to do: Handle earwigs without worry if you need to move one; the pincers aren't a reason to avoid them.
1 source
- RHSThe RHS describes the earwig's pincers as harmless, noting they may be raised in self-defence rather than used to attack.
“Earwigs are garden pests that damage plants and should be got rid of”
Earwigs cut both ways. On fruit trees, they eat aphids and other small pests without harming the tree or fruit, which is why they're listed as beneficial there. On other plants, especially dahlias, clematis and chrysanthemums, the same insects can eat flower petals and young leaves, occasionally skeletonising older foliage. Whether an earwig counts as friend or foe in a given border depends on what's growing in it.
Our read Blanket removal ignores the aphid-eating side of the trade-off; the more useful question is which plants are nearby, not whether earwigs in general are good or bad.
What to do: Tolerate earwigs near fruit trees where they help with aphids. Only intervene, for example with the upturned-pot trap, where they're visibly damaging vulnerable flowers like dahlias.
2 sources
- RHSRHS names earwigs among the natural predators that help control aphids in the garden.
- RHSRHS's earwig page notes the beneficial role on fruit trees alongside the plant-damage side seen on other plants such as dahlia, clematis and chrysanthemum, recommending tolerance as part of the natural balance.
“An upturned flower pot stuffed with straw on a cane will trap and clear earwigs away from vulnerable plants”
The trap itself is real and recommended: a flower pot loosely packed with hay or straw and tied to a cane among affected plants gives earwigs daytime shelter, which can then be shaken out each morning. But it's presented as a way to monitor and reduce numbers, not a guarantee of protection; it may not be enough to save plants when earwigs are abundant.
Our read Treat it as a monitoring and thinning tool rather than full pest control, especially in a bad earwig year.
What to do: Set the pot trap near plants being damaged and shake it out each morning; don't expect it alone to stop damage during a heavy earwig year.
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- RHSRHS recommends the upturned, straw-stuffed flower pot on a cane as a way to trap and monitor earwig numbers, while noting it may not protect plants when earwigs are abundant.
“Earwigs only come out at night and hide during the day”
Earwigs are largely nocturnal, feeding at night from late spring to early autumn and retreating to sheltered, dark spots during the day. That's also why the upturned-pot trap works as a monitoring method: it mimics the crevices earwigs seek out to hide in while the sun's up.
What to do: If you're checking plants for earwig damage, look after dark with a torch, or check daytime hiding spots like pots, mulch and bark rather than expecting to see them in daylight.
1 source
- RHSRHS describes earwigs as largely nocturnal, feeding at night from late spring to early autumn and sheltering in dark, damp places during the day.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy earwigs?
Not usefully: earwigs released into a garden with nothing to hold them there simply leave. Creating the right habitat and food source is what actually keeps a population around; see "How to encourage it" above.
Could earwigs actually cause a problem in my garden?
Occasionally, depending on what you're growing: see the note near the bottom of this page.
How do I know if earwigs are actually helping?
Watch the pest population, not the predator count: fewer aphids over a few weeks is the real sign, not how many earwigs you can spot on a given day.
When will I actually see earwigs in the garden?
It depends on the stage in their life cycle — see "Life cycle" above for when they're active and what to expect through the year.
Earwigs are also sometimes a pest in their own right: flower petals and young leaves of some plants, including dahlia, clematis and chrysanthemum, can be eaten, and older foliage occasionally reduced to a skeleton of veins. On fruit trees, though, RHS treats them as beneficial: they eat aphids there without damaging the tree or fruit. Like slugs, whether earwigs help or hurt depends on what's growing.