The bug's name comes from the Old English words ear wicga, which roughly translates to “ear wiggler” or “ear creature,” which is how the myth began about this type of insect crawling into your ears while you sleep.

Do earwigs actually go in your ear?

The earwig gets its skin-crawling name from long-standing myths claiming the insect can climb inside a person's ear and either live there or feed on their brain. While any small insect is capable of climbing in your ear, this myth is unfounded. Earwigs don't feed on the human brain or lay their eggs in your ear canal.

Can earwigs hurt you?

Because of their intimidating pincers, or forceps, protruding from the abdomen, earwigs might appear to be a dangerous bug. ... They have no venom, so earwigs are not poisonous. Insects such as mosquitoes or bed bugs can injure people by biting.