Why Are There So Many Earwigs In Illinois Right Now?

If it seems like earwigs are taking over your house right now, you're not imagining it.

I keep seeing earwigs randomly living rent-free in my apartment, and it's only been as of recently that more and more have been moving in.

Residents across Illinois are reporting an increase in the small, punch-tailed insects, and experts say a combination of weather and natural population cycles are to blame.

Why Are There So Many Earwigs In Illinois Right Now?

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One of the biggest reasons for the surge is the recent stretch of wet, humid weather we've been having.  Earwigs thrive in moist environments, and rain conditions create the perfect habitat for them to feed, reproduce, and survive.  Damp mulch, leaf litter, gardens, and shared areas around homes provide ideal hiding places, allowing outdoors populations to grow rapidly.

Their life cycle also plays a major role, too!  I learned that female earwigs lay their eggs in underground nests during the winter or early spring and are unusual among insects because they guard and care for their eggs until they hatch.  By early summer, the young earwigs have matured into adults, leading to a noticeable increase in their numbers.

Although earwigs prefer to live outdoors, they often wander indoors when searching for cool, dark, and damp places to escape summer heat.  Basements, bathrooms, crawl spaces, garages, and areas around leaky pipes can become temporary hiding spots.

The good news is that earwigs are mostly a nuisance rather than a serious threat.

• They rarely damage homes
• Don't spread diseases
• Their pincers are pretty harmless to people

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Reducing the excess moisture around your house, sealing cracks around doors, repairing leaks, and securing windows can help keep them out.  As conditions become drier later in the summer, earwig numbers will begin to decline!

We just gotta wait it out... we got this.