Earwigs In My Bed: What You Need To Know

Waking up to find bugs in your bed can be an unsettling experience. If you’ve discovered earwigs crawling on your sheets or mattress, you probably have a lot of questions about where they came from and how to get rid of them.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Earwigs enter homes through cracks and crevices and can end up in beds while foraging for food at night. Getting rid of them involves cleaning up debris outdoors, sealing entry points, and using traps or natural repellents inside.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about earwigs infesting your bed, including:

What Are Earwigs?

Earwigs are unusual-looking insects that get their name from an urban legend that they crawl into people’s ears. While this myth has persistently followed them, earwigs are generally harmless to humans. Keep reading to learn all about the physical traits and behaviors of this misunderstood bug.

Physical Description

There are nearly 2,000 different species of earwigs in the world, with about 25 found in the United States. They range in size from 0.15 inches to just over 1 inch long. Most earwigs have long, slender bodies and are reddish-brown in color.

The most identifiable feature of an earwig is the pair of cerci at the rear of their abdomen. Cerci resemble pinchers or forceps, with one curved cerci overlapping the other. While menacing in appearance, earwig cerci are not strong enough to break human skin.

Earwigs have wings but rarely take flight. Instead, their wings are useful identifiers between male and female earwigs. Male earwigs have longer wings that extend past their abdomen, while female earwigs have shorter wings.

Habits and Behaviors

Earwigs are generally nocturnal and hide during the daytime. Common hiding places include under rocks, boards, flower pots, mulch, leaves, and bark. They prefer warm, humid locations and are attracted to light.

The earwig diet consists of decaying organic matter and plants. They sometimes feed on various fruits and vegetables found in gardens. Earwigs are omnivores and have been known to eat insects, insect eggs, and mites on occasion.

Reproduction begins in autumn months. After mating, the female lays between 20 to 80 eggs in an underground nest. The eggs hatch in winter, and earwigs reach full maturity by late spring or early summer.

While the myth about earwigs crawling into ears is false, they may occasionally enter homes through cracks and crevices. Use caulk or weather strips around windows and doors can help block entrance points.

For more information, check out this site from Colorado State University.

Why Are Earwigs in My Bed?

Foraging for food

Earwigs are omnivorous insects that feed on both plant and animal matter. They are known to munch on a diverse buffet including aphids, fungi, lichens, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and even fabrics made from plant fibers.

Your cozy bed likely contains an appealing smorgasbord for these creepy crawlers.

Bedsheets, pillowcases, mattresses and box springs can accumulate skin cells, pollen, fungi and dust mites – a veritable feast for foraging earwigs! They are especially drawn to stains and spills on bed linens from food, drinks and body oils which provide extra nutrition.

Earwigs enter homes through cracks and crevices looking for food. Once inside, they can crawl from room to room following pheromone trails left by other earwigs leading them straight to your bedroom buffet!

Seeking shelter

In addition to searching for food, earwigs sneak into cozy beds seeking shelter. They prefer dark, damp places to rest during the day.

The folds, creases and crevices in mattresses, box springs, bed frames and headboards provide perfect hiding spots for these nighttime invaders. Your layered bed linens also supply lots of nooks and crannies for earwigs to hunker down undetected during daylight hours.

Earwigs are especially prone to congregating in rarely used guest rooms and underneath beds that are infrequently moved and cleaned. Neglected areas allow pest populations to flourish undisturbed.

Properly cleaning and inspecting your bedroom regularly helps deny earwigs attractive harborage. Store seldom used linens in sealed containers to avoid invasion. Check under and behind furniture for signs of earwigs before going to sleep.

For more information, check out this Terminix article on earwigs or contact a pest control professional for help ridding your bed of these bothersome bugs!

How to Get Rid of Earwigs in Your Bed

Clean up debris outside

Earwigs like to hide in dark, damp places with plenty of debris outside your home. Keep your yard tidy by raking up leaves, clearing stacked wood, and removing other clutter where earwigs can nest. Pay special attention to moist areas like under potted plants, mulch beds, and around exterior AC units.

Seal cracks and crevices

Inspect the exterior of your home and seal any cracks or crevices where earwigs can sneak inside. Use caulk or weatherstripping to seal up holes along windows, doors, siding, utility pipes, and the foundation. This helps block points of entry so fewer earwigs make it into your bedroom.

Use traps and natural repellents

Set out traps or natural insect repellents to catch and deter earwigs around your home’s perimeter. Traps made of damp rolled newspapers or overturned flower pots with a bit of oil underneath can lure earwigs in.

Sprinkling diatomaceous earth around the foundation also cuts up their exoskeletons when they crawl through it.

Certain plants like marigolds, chrysanthemums, and tansy can help repel earwigs when planted around your house. Crushed garlic cloves or spray made with garlic oil makes another natural repellent.

Vacuum and launder bedding

Vacuum your mattress thoroughly to suck up any earwigs, eggs, or nymphs hiding in the crevices and folds. Pay close attention to seams, tufts, and edges. Remove and wash all bedding, pillows, and mattress covers in hot water then run them through a hot dryer cycle to kill any remaining bugs.

Isolate cleaned bedding in sealed plastic bags or bins so earwigs can’t re-infest it before you remake the bed. Encase your mattress and box spring in airtight covers as an added barrier for preventing future infestations.

Preventing Future Earwig Infestations

Remove Outdoor Harborage Sites

Eliminating places around your home where earwigs like to hide during the day is key to keeping them from getting inside. Focus on areas with moist, dark places they can squeeze into, like under boards, stones, compost piles, thick vegetation, and mulch near your home’s foundation.

Use a hoe, rake or shovel to clear away debris and overgrown plants within several feet of your home’s exterior walls. This robs earwigs of their favorite daytime hangouts close to possible entry points.

Keeping mulch at least 12 inches away from your home’s foundation also helps deter earwigs. If possible, replace mulch beds near doorways with gravel instead. The dry environment drives earwigs away.

Install Door Sweeps and Screens

Even with outdoor maintenance, some earwigs inevitably get inside. Stop them right at entry points by installing door sweeps on all exterior doors. These barriers fit along the gap between the bottom of a door and threshold.

Also make sure windows and vents have tight fitting screens without holes or gaps. A professional duct cleaning can remove earwigs, dust and allergens if you suspect infestations in HVAC systems.

Use Desiccant Dusts

As a last line of defense, apply desiccant dusts made from fossilized diatoms outside. The sharp edges physically damage earwigs’ exoskeletons and absorb the outer waxy layer that prevents water loss. Popular options are CimeXa and diatomaceous earth (DE).

Apply a light coating along home foundations, window wells, under porches – anywhere earwigs crawl to access cracks and crevices. Reapply after heavy rains since moisture reduces DE’s effectiveness. Inside applications are also effective but limit exposure to simply cracks/crevices and wall voids.

Conclusion

While having earwigs crawl into your bed can be disturbing, understanding why they are there and how to evict them can give you peace of mind. With some diligent cleaning, sealing, and trapping, you can kick earwigs out of your bed and prevent them from returning.

Getting a good night’s sleep shouldn’t have to involve creepy crawly bedmates.