Earwigs are the dark, fast-moving insects with rear pincers that Chicagoans often find in basements, bathrooms, and around foundation plantings. Their appearance is alarming but they're harmless to people — they're primarily a moisture-driven nuisance pest.
What Do Earwigs Look Like?
Adult earwigs are 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, dark reddish-brown to black, with a flat elongated body and a pair of curved pincers (cerci) at the rear. Some species have wings, though they rarely fly in Chicago homes.
Where Do Earwigs Hide?
Earwigs are nocturnal moisture-lovers. They hide outside under mulch, leaf litter, planter pots, woodpiles, and landscape stones, and enter Chicago homes through foundation gaps, basement window frames, and weep holes. Indoors they prefer bathrooms, laundry rooms, and basements.
Signs of a Earwig Infestation
Live earwigs in damp areas of the home, especially at night when a light is turned on; earwigs under doormats and in garden mulch; and damage to seedlings and tender plant leaves in the yard.
Health Risks of Earwigs
Earwigs do not transmit disease and the pincers cannot break human skin in any meaningful way — the worst case is a momentary pinch. They are entirely a nuisance pest.
How Sleep Tight Treats Earwigs in Chicago
Sleep Tight treats earwigs with an exterior perimeter band that targets the moist harborage where they breed, combined with crack-and-crevice work around basement window frames and foundation entry points. Reducing mulch and leaf debris against the foundation helps long-term.
Need help with earwigs in Chicago?
Sleep Tight Pest Control offers same-day chicago general pest control across every Chicago neighborhood and suburb. Call (773) 240-5932 or get a free quote online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do earwigs really crawl into ears?
No — the old folk myth isn't true. Earwigs prefer dark damp outdoor harborage, not ears.
Will an earwig pinch hurt me?
Not meaningfully — the pincers can apply a tiny pinch but they can't break human skin.
Why are earwigs in my basement?
Earwigs follow moisture. Damp Chicago basements with mulch or leaf debris piled against the foundation are ideal entry points.
How do I keep them out?
Pull mulch and plantings back 12 inches from the foundation, seal foundation cracks, and use a perimeter exterior treatment. Sleep Tight handles all three.