What are earwigs in ears?

Earwigs have a bad reputation; since ancient times it's been said that they crawl in the ears of humans and lay eggs. Moyer Pest busts the myths here. read more

Earwigs have a bad reputation. Since ancient times, these little bugs have been said to crawl into the ears of humans and lay their eggs. Some even believe they burrow into our brains! In fact, earwigs get their name from their reputation of crawling into the ears of humans. The French refer to them as perce-oreille, or ear piercer. read more

Earwigs have characteristic cerci, a pair of forceps-like pincers on their abdomen, and membranous wings folded underneath short, rarely used forewings, hence the scientific order name, "skin wings". Some groups are tiny parasites on mammals and lack the typical pincers. Earwigs are found on all continents except Antarctica. read more

The bottom line on earwigs is that there's no scientific evidence for the insects' fabled fondness for the human ear. The idea that the little creatures want to feast on human brains is even more far-fetched. read more