Earwigs are a nuisance pest. They do not bite, and they do not transmit diseases. They can, however, be harmful to flower, fruit and vegetable gardens. Though considered temporary, bats are often found in large numbers.
Earwigs are nocturnal scavengers. They feed on decaying vegetation and animal matter, and are often found in cool dark places (like crawl spaces, or along the outer wall foundation). They move very quickly and may emit a foul-smelling, yellowish-brown liquid from their scent glands. Earwigs have an elongated, flattened body (approximately 2 cm long), with forcep-like appendages (pincers) on the end of the abdomen, and antennae extending from the head. They may have wings, but they rarely fly. Their colour ranges from light red-brown to black (nymphs are whitish and lack wings). Earwigs are active at night, and are often found around lights. In the day, they hide in cool dark places (flower beds, mulch, crawl spaces, wood piles...). Both adults and eggs over winter under ground (they can dig up to six feet underground to escape winter cold!), and come out when the warm weather begins. Females lay 20-50 eggs in spring or autumn, and these will develop to maturity in one season. To control the number of earwigs in and around your house,

• reduce lighting on the outside of the house
• eliminate damp, moist conditions in crawl spaces under houses, around faucets, around air-conditioning units, and along house foundations
• be sure rain gutters are carrying water away from house
• use caulking, putty and weather stripping around doors and windows and other entry sites
• be sure the landscaping creates a clean, dry border immediately around the foundation wall; for example, use gravel or ornamental stones rather than mulch and flower beds along the wall