Doctors in China were shocked to discover that a man’s earache was caused by around a dozen cockroaches that had hatched in his hearing canal.

The 24-year-old man identified only as Mr. Lv was admitted to Sanhe Hospital in the Guangdong Province, where he complained of a “sharp pain” in his right ear, Fox news reports.

“He said his ear hurt a lot, like something was scratching or crawling inside. It caused a lot of discomfort”, Dr. Zhong Yijin, an ear, nose and throat specialist at the clinic disclosed.

Lv also told the doctors that his family had previously shone a light in his ear to reveal what looked like a large bug inside. The doctor soon confirmed the man’s suspicions after discovering a freshly born brood of German cockroaches and their mother in his auditory canal.

“I discovered more than 10 cockroach babies inside,” Dr. Yijiin said. “They were already running around.”

Sanhe Hospital’s deputy head of ENT, Dr. Jiang Tengxiang, told local media outlets Lv had a habit of leaving snacks near his bed while he slept, which likely prompted the insect interlopers to use his ear as an impromptu incubation chamber.

Doctors were able to extract both the babies and their mama one by one from Lv’s ear using tweezers.

Lv only sustained minor injuries to his ear, and was discharged the same day with a prescription for antibiotic ointment, according to a statement released by the hospital.

“Practice good hygiene, disinfect drains and sewers and use mosquito nets and screens on windows,” he said. “That’ll stop insects from flying or crawling into your noses and ears”, Dr. Tengxiang advised.