Even though the majority of earwig species have wings, not all of them are able to fly.

When earwigs fly, they typically are not the most agile fliers. As opposed to a house fly, the wings are not as effective. The brief bursts of air that earwigs use to fly are typical. Continue reading, you will learn more about earwigs.

What is Earwig?

Because they are typically covered by hard-wing covers, these insects’ wings frequently go unnoticed. Are earwigs able to fly, though, if they have wings? Not so quickly, is the answer. Earwigs can fly, but they don’t do it very often. They would much rather ride on flowers, luggage, newspapers, or even fruits or vegetables to get where they need to go.

What Do Earwigs Look Like?

There are several species of earwigs, with the European earwig (Forficula auricularia) being the most common in Canada. As suggested by its name, it was first brought to North America from Europe and is now firmly established there. It has a dark red color and a protruding cervix-like appendage at the tip of its abdomen. It has pale yellow wings and legs and is about 16 mm long. The antennae have 12 segments and are long. Earwigs have been seen to climb as high as they can before taking flight in order to get ready for flight. They prefer to run from one location to another and rarely fly.

Why Do I Have Earwigs?

The European earwig likes to rest under tree bark or under rocks because it prefers dark, moist areas. However, they are also drawn to the tiny crevices in the home’s foundation, underneath its floorboards, and in other confined areas.

Earwigs find the damp, dark basement spaces with the many foundation cracks to be the ideal hiding places. Earwigs may be drawn to piles of leaves, vegetation, and mulched areas, as well as to garbage and refuse.

Earwigs enjoy eating decaying or dead plant material, insects, spiders, aphids, caterpillar pupae, and other small invertebrates when they are out foraging at night. They catch and hold their prey with their cerci before bending back to transfer it to their mouthparts.

How Does Earwig Fly?

Earwigs have wings, just like most flying things. They possess a specially designed wing that folds repeatedly and is tucked under elytra, which are panels on the back of the earwig. This wing has a structure that is akin to an origami fan or a parasol. Hydrostatic pressure helps the wings move back and forth in waves as it attaches to the body through a muscular structure. The actual wings fold more than a dozen times. The earwigs must beat them several times after they are fully extended. The wings are then nearly rolled up and tucked back against the body after the earwig has finished flying. Earwigs aren’t always the most graceful flyers, to begin with, and the process of reattaching the wings to the elytra can be challenging.

With its legs extended and enormous pincers dangling below, an earwig in the air may be frightening to look at, but they are even more harmless than they are on the ground. Although they are not frequently agile enough to use their wings to escape from predators, earwigs prefer to fly for brief periods of time. They may do this out of an apparent frustration in lack of food or viable mates, or if defeated in combat by a rival. Even though most earwig species have wings, many of them may never actually fly in their entire lives!

How to Prevent Earwigs?

Although these insects can help the garden by eating slugs and aphids, they are also quite alarming. We can understand if you wish to get rid of them. Eliminate flat rocks and logs that earwigs can hide under, don’t let leaves and other debris build-up, and limit the thickness of your mulch to no more than two inches. By doing this, earwigs have fewer secure places to live.

However, if they’ve already made a name for themselves and you’re unable to tolerate their business any longer, call the experts. An expert will assist you in creating a plan to get rid of the earwigs you currently have and prevent them from returning in the future, as they do with all unwanted insects.

How Worried Should I Be About Earwigs?

It’s a common misconception that earwigs slither into sleeping people’s ear canals and bore into their brains. However, when defending themselves, earwigs may give a brief nip and release a foul-smelling yellow-brown liquid.

The earwig can be advantageous because it aids in the breakdown of waste and consumes harmful insects, but it can also feed on flowers, vegetables, ornamental trees, and shrubs. Earwigs can eventually kill healthy plants if there are enough of them.

An infestation is difficult to control because earwigs leave behind a pheromone in their droppings that draws other earwigs to the area. Even if you kill the current earwigs, more might be on the way. Contact a reputable pest control service to ensure that your earwig infestation is completely under control.

How Can I Prevent Earwigs Invading?

Remove any nearby decaying vegetation, clean up leaf piles, compost, grass clippings, and other debris, repair leaky downspouts and drains, fix damaged irrigation systems, and fill in cracks and crevices in walls, foundations, and around doors and windows. Our blog post on how to get rid of earwigs has more information on earwigs.

Can Earwigs Bite?

If threatened, an earwig could bite, but this isn’t likely to happen. An earwig bite won’t do much harm because they are not poisonous. Earwigs prefer to use their pinchers in combat. They won’t harm you unless you pose a threat, but they might still leave a hurtful mark.

Can An Earwig Jump?

They have wings and may use them to limited effect

Although earwigs can fly, their wings are not very effective. With the help of these wings, the European earwig can break falls, jump short distances, and flee from danger.

Do Earwigs Go in Your Ear When You Sleep?

Although an ancient myth that earwigs burrow through the external auditory canal and eat sleeping persons’ brains is considered unfounded, these bugs sometimes do enter the ear, causing severe ear discomfort.

Conclusion on Earwigs Fly

Typically nocturnal, earwigs look for dark places to hide during the day. They eat carrion and other insects but are primarily vegetarian scavengers.

Earwigs rarely fly, despite the fact that they have wings. A female earwig makes a good mother, unlike most insects.