Remove or alter places that attract earwigs such as flower gardens and sheltered areas under trash and compost or wood piles. Keep grass and weeds cut short around structural foundations. Also reduce outside lights at night, since these tend to attract earwigs. These insects gain access indoors through very small cracks and crevices. Use caulking and weatherstripping around doors, windows, pipes and other places to exclude them.
Earwigs generally enter the home at the ground level, so pay particular attention to low areas.
Use insecticides outdoors around foundations, in flower beds and under subfloor crawl spaces to limit earwig entry into structures. Apply insecticides in the late afternoon during late spring and summer. This will stop the earwigs when they are young. Sprays and granules are effective, but should be washed into the, soil with sufficient amounts of water, as earwigs can move a considerable distance into the ground. Table 1 contains a listing of insecticides registered for earwig control.