European earwigs plague Melbourne homes and gardens, especially in the west and north. Here is the truth about the pincers, and how to get numbers under control.
Earwigs: Melbourne's Underrated Invader
The European earwig - brown, fast-moving, with distinctive rear pincers - has boomed across Melbourne, particularly in the western and northern suburbs and anywhere near market gardens and paddocks. They shelter in damp, tight spaces by day and forage at night, and in bad seasons they turn up in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry baskets, and even beds in genuinely unsettling numbers.
First, the Myth
No, earwigs do not crawl into ears any more than any other insect, and they do not burrow into brains - that is pure folklore. The pincers can give a tiny nip if you handle one, but they are harmless to people and pets. The real problems are their numbers, the damage they do to seedlings and gardens, and the simple fact that nobody wants them in the house.
Why You Have So Many
- Moisture and shelter - mulch, leaf litter, pot plants, timber piles, and garden beds against the house are perfect earwig harbourage
- Cool, damp nights - Melbourne's autumn and spring are peak season
- Easy entry - earwigs squeeze under doors, through weep holes, and around window frames
- Nearby farmland or new estates - disturbed soil and young gardens breed huge populations
How to Get Rid of Earwigs
- Dry out their habitat - pull mulch and pot plants back from the walls, fix leaking taps and drainage, and lift timber and clutter off the ground
- Seal entry points - door seals, weather strips, and gap-sealing around frames and pipes
- Trap them - rolled damp newspaper or cardboard left out overnight collects sheltering earwigs; bin the roll in the morning
- Perimeter treatment - a professional residual barrier along the slab edge, weep holes, door thresholds, and garden interface stops them before they get inside, and keeps working for months
Earwigs in the Garden
Earwigs are actually mixed news outdoors - they eat aphids and other soft pests, but in numbers they shred seedlings, dahlias, and soft fruit. If your veggie patch is getting hammered overnight and you find earwigs sheltering under pots by day, the population has tipped from helpful to harmful.
When to Call a Professional
A few earwigs after rain is normal for Melbourne. Nightly indoor sightings, earwigs in bedding or clothes, or swarms under every pot means an established population that DIY traps will not dent. A perimeter treatment timed for early autumn or spring cuts numbers dramatically - and covers other seasonal invaders like Portuguese millipedes, slaters, and spiders at the same time.
Earwigs taking over? Pest Eraze treats them as part of a general pest treatment across Melbourne from around $179, backed by a written warranty. Call 0416 528 547.
