The earwig is an insect that has garnered much attention over the years due to a persistent myth that it can crawl into a person’s ear and feed off their brain.
If you have fruit, vegetable, or flower plants, you should watch for outdoor earwig infestations. Look for tiny holes in your vegetables, fruits, or plant leaves, as earwigs can leave jagged designs on your plants.
If you’ve been pinched by an earwig, it’s important to know that it’s a self-defense mechanism. Earwigs will use their forceps if they feel threatened, especially if you try to pick them up.
If an earwig has pinched you, you might notice two tiny red-pink marks that are very close together. In rare cases, the pincers may break the skin and cause some bleeding.
These insects live and hang around places where bacteria can thrive, like drains, soil, and decaying plants. Because of this, their bites or pinches are capable of causing skin irritations or infections.