Earwigs

Adults are 14 – 23mm long, dark brown in color and have forceps at the hind end. The forceps, which are curved in the male and straight in the female, are not poisonous and will simply give you a small nip.

The female lays about 40 eggs a year and then rears the young herself, which is unusual in the insect world. Earwigs feed on green vegetation and other plants, so are more of a nuisance in the garden than in the home.