Earwigs will enter homes to hide, but they don't breed because the eggs and nymphs cannot tolerate long periods of dryness (low humidity). When inside homes, earwigs may be mistaken for cockroaches, as they tend to resemble each other when it is dark. They generally occur in groups and once inside a home they will feed on crumbs of human food as well as cat and dog food.

Earwigs are attracted to outdoor lighting. Earwigs feed on a wide range of food sources. They will eat aphids, mites, and insect eggs. However, they also feed on the flowers of plants including marigolds, petunias, dahlias, and hostas. Earwigs will eat small holes in plant leaves and flowers during the night. Leaves and petals have a ragged appearance with irregular-shaped holes. Seedlings and flowering plants can be severely damaged or killed by high earwig populations. Earwigs also eat pollen, fungi, and lichens.