Earwigs have a bad reputation. Since ancient times, these little bugs have been said to crawl into the ears of humans and lay their eggs. Some even believe they burrow into our brains! In fact, earwigs get their name from their reputation of crawling into the ears of humans.
The French refer to them as perce-oreille, or ear piercer. Germans call them Ohrwurm, which means ear worm. That’s revolting. And, the Russians call them ukhovertka, or ear turner. But, their name in English is perhaps the most disturbing of all. The old English word “wig” comes from a family of words that include “wiggle” and “wag.”
That does not paint a pretty picture. At all. So, do earwigs go in your ears? Today we’re going to settle this question once and for all.
Yes. Earwigs crawl into our ears.
What??? It’s true. It isn’t a myth. Well, it is mostly a myth, but it isn’t entirely a myth. These creatures can crawl into your ear, but so can a lot of other bugs.
There are documented cases of spiders, fruit fly babies, bed bugs, crickets, moths, and ticks being found in the ear of some very unlucky individuals. Some of these cases even include eggs being laid; however, it is not known whether or not an earwig has ever laid eggs in anyone’s ear.
Here is what you need to know most about earwigs:
It is extremely rare for an earwig to “wiggle” into someone’s ear. It isn’t like earwigs prefer to be in a human ear. There is nothing in there that they want, except maybe some moisture and warmth. But, they can–and do–crawl into the ears of some people. There are cases of this happening. Some from our own decade. It is, however, very unlikely that it will happen to you or anyone in your family.
These bugs will never burrow into your brain. They simply don’t have the ability or inclination.
Earwigs prefer to live in areas where there is moist rotting wood, not in your ear.
So, there you have it. Earwigs are not likely to climb in your ear; but if you want to make sure, Moyer has some solutions that will keep these, or any other pest, from crawling into your ear. When you have year-round pest services from Moyer, not only will you prevent the unlikely event of a creature wiggling into your ear, you’ll also reduce or eliminate all of the other harmful issues that can arise from having bugs and wild animals living in your home. Give us a call at 215.799.2010 or fill out the form below and we will contact you.
