You’ll find earwigs in lettuce but never in an ear

EARWIGS are not popular insects.

They have nasty-looking pincers on their rear ends and long antennae at the other end; they move in a rapid, snake-like way; and they have a habit of turning up in the wrong place – the wrong place being a lettuce brought in from the garden, or lurking in the folds of a clean towel.

Earwigs are relatively harmless and interesting. The first prejudice that has to be dispelled is that they creep into people’s ears and bore into their brains to lay their eggs. This is an ancient myth. The name ‘earwig’ comes from Old English and means ‘ear insect’. There are similar names in most European languages.