Those of the male are more strongly curved than those of the female. Habits Earwigs are a common nuisance both indoors and out. During the day they hide in almost any dark, confined space, particularly if it also is rather moist. Typical indoor hiding places are under rugs or potted plants, in stacks of newspapers, and similar locations. Outdoors, they commonly are found under rocks or stacked wood, in ear tips of sweet corn, and under various kinds of debris.
Earwigs are active at night and feed on a wide variety of materials.
They occasionally cause injury to leafy plants such as lettuce and some flower blossoms. They often are associated with injuries caused by other insects. For example, leaves curled by aphids and holes in fruit are favorite hiding places for earwigs. Earwigs mainly are a nuisance pest. Their reputation is made worse by the widespread fear that many people have regarding these insects.