Do Earwigs Bite People?

Earwigs do not bite or sting; they can, however, use their forceps to pinch people, but this rarely breaks the skin. The act of pinching is a last ditch effort when they are picked up and agitated. Earwigs, contrary to popular belief, pose no danger to humans and do not lay eggs in a human host's ears.

The forceps are used during mating and to hold prey. Earwigs have no stinger, do not bite humans and do not have any venom. Earwigs live in dirt and soil so if in the rare circumstance that someone is pinched by an earwig and it breaks the skin, use an antibiotic cream or lotion to disinfect the wound.