![]() Earwigs get to be about 3/4-inch long.A male earwig’s pincers are long and curved, while a female’s are shorter and straighter. They are indicators of gender, like tusks on an elephant. The pincers, called “cerci,” are also important for romance. Earwigs usually use their pincers to ward off enemies like toads and birds, or-in some species-to catch prey. They are capable of pinching (and sometimes biting) humans, but the pinch is not particularly powerful. The pincers at the end of an earwig’s abdomen look rather formidable. The pinchers at the end of an earwig’s body are called “cerci.” Do Earwigs Pinch? However, if you do see large numbers of them around your plants, you can consider taking action. This creates a conundrum for gardeners… Should earwigs be allowed to remain in your garden to eat up aphids and other pests? Or should they be removed before they turn their attention on your plants? Generally, earwigs do not cause enough damage to be worth fighting. They will also readily prey on aphids, insect eggs, maggots, grubs, and army worms. However, when their population gets out of control, they may turn to feasting on living plant matter, especially the seedlings or young foliage of vegetables and flowers. In the garden, they primarily feed on dead or decaying plant and animal matter. Pincher bugs are omnivores, meaning that they’ll eat pretty much anything that’s made available to them. Their nests can number in the thousands, and they aren’t territorial, so they often live together. They congregate during the day because they tend to find the same hiding places. Earwigs were first reported in North America in the early 1900s, and they have now spread to most of the United States and parts of Canada.Įarwigs enjoy a lively social scene. In North America, we’re most familiar with Forficula auricularia, a European species. In France, they’re called “ear piercers” (perce-orielles) and in Germany, “ear worms” (Ohrwürmer). Today, nearly 2,000 species are scattered everywhere but in Earth’s polar regions. The name “earwig” comes from the Old English ear-wicga, which means “ear wiggler”-so named because the insect was once thought to seek out human ears to reside in. Oftentimes, they can be found in basements and woodpiles.Įarwigs are the sole members of the insect order Dermaptera, ancient bugs that began crawling around Earth about 208 million years ago. They like decaying wood and plant material, and dark, damp spaces. ![]() ![]() You might have trouble spotting one-not only are they quick movers, they are also nocturnal and tend to hide out during the day when you are tending the garden. What Are Earwigs?Įarwigs can be found in almost any growing zone, although they are more likely to inhabit warm, humid climates. Here are tips for how to identify, prevent, and get rid of earwigs, also known as “pincher bugs,” in the garden. These menacing-looking insects don’t have a thing for ears or wigs, but they will certainly go after garden plants.
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