Are Millipedes or Earwigs Getting Inside? Here’s How to Tell (and What Else Might Be Lurking)

Millipedes and earwigs usually keep to themselves — crawling under mulch, hiding beneath flower pots, and feeding on decaying matter in your yard. But when conditions shift — especially during long dry spells or sudden rains — these bugs start looking for new places to hide. And sometimes, that means inside your home.

If you’ve spotted one or two of these creepy crawlers indoors lately, chances are more are nearby — or on their way.

Here’s how to tell if millipedes or earwigs are sneaking in, what signs to look for, and why even geckos and spiders might be trying to help (in their own bug-eating way).

1. You’re Spotting Them Indoors — Especially After Rain

Millipedes often show up in basements, garages, or along baseboards after heavy rainfall. When the ground gets waterlogged, they escape to higher, drier ground — and sometimes that means your home.

Earwigs are a bit more mobile. You might find them in bathrooms, laundry rooms, or under kitchen sinks — especially in dark, damp corners. They often crawl inside through tiny cracks or vents in search of shelter.

One or two sightings might not seem like much, but they’re rarely alone.

2. Dry Conditions Can Push Bugs Inside, Too

It’s not just rain that drives bugs indoors — extreme heat and drought can do the same.

When temperatures rise and cities place outdoor water restrictions in place, yards can quickly dry out. And when that happens, moisture-loving bugs like millipedes and earwigs lose their humid hiding places.

Without the damp mulch, shaded leaf litter, or moist soil they rely on, they go looking for a more suitable environment — and they often find it in crawl spaces, under sinks, or around your foundation.

If you’re in a dry spell and seeing more bugs inside, water conservation might be part of the reason why.

3. You Notice Webbing Spiders in Cabinets or Corners

Have you opened a bathroom cabinet or looked up to see fine webs in the ceiling corners?

That’s more than just a messy inconvenience. Webbing spiders — like cellar spiders or common house spiders — typically show up when there’s something to eat nearby. And that includes pests like millipedes and earwigs.

So while you might only see the spider, it’s a hint that you have an underlying pest problem.

4. You’ve Spotted a Gecko Around Your Home

Geckos and house lizards are natural bug hunters, especially in warmer climates. If you’re seeing one hanging around your porch, garage, or even indoors, there’s likely a food source nearby.

Millipedes, earwigs, and small insects are all on the menu — and their presence might be what’s drawing these little predators in.

5. Your Home Has Damp or Humid Areas

Whether it’s a basement, crawlspace, laundry room, or cabinet under the sink — anywhere with excess moisture can invite pests indoors.

Millipedes and earwigs won’t stay where they can’t survive. So if they’re settling into your home, it's likely because you’ve got an area with enough humidity to keep them comfortable.

What You Can Do to Keep Them Out

A few smart home habits can go a long way:

• Seal cracks and entry points around windows, doors, and pipes

• Fix any leaks under sinks or in crawlspaces

• Run a dehumidifier in damp areas

• Vacuum regularly, especially in corners and behind furniture

• Keep mulch and leaves at least a foot away from your foundation

The goal? Make your home less inviting — and less accessible.

Bug Zone Targets the Pests, Not Just the Symptoms

Millipedes and earwigs aren’t dangerous, but they don’t belong in your bathroom, laundry room, or anywhere else inside your home.

At Bug Zone, we take a perimeter-first approach — targeting where these pests enter and where they hide. And if they’ve already made it in, we’ve got safe, effective treatments to take care of that, too.

Seeing bugs — or the spiders and geckos that hunt them? Call Bug Zone today and we’ll help kick them all out, for good.