How To Get Rid Of Earwigs in The Garden

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How to get rid of earwigs in your garden naturally.

Earwigs are normally a beneficial insect in your garden because they eat many pests. But they can cause a lot of damage to plants when their numbers get out of control. Use natural methods of control like diatomaceous earth, paper, and oil traps to catch them in your garden.

Earwigs have a reputation of being one of the creepiest insects you can find in your garden.

Their ugly appearance makes you automatically think they are a pest and need to go.

The old wives tales about them burrowing into people’s ears certainly doesn’t help their reputation any!

What Are Earwigs?

Earwigs are really easy to recognize once you know what you are looking for.

They have a long, reddish-brown body with two large pinchers at the end. This gives them the common nickname of pincher bugs. Compared to most bugs their body is very flat.

They do have wings but rarely fly.

Do Earwigs Bite?

Yes, earwigs can bite but they rarely do. You are much more likely to be pinched by an earwig then bitten.

Many people will say that they don’t bite or pinch people but that simply isn’t true.

Many people have been pinched by them and it can hurt too. Sometimes their pinch is strong enough to break your skin or draw blood.

However, they are not venomous and do not try to attack people on purpose. You’re most likely to be pinched if you pick up an earwig but even then they often won’t bother you unless they are agitated.

Are Earwigs A Garden Pest?

Earwigs love damp conditions with a sheltered place to hide. You’ll find them hiding in everything from mulch to under rocks and plant pots.

Earwigs are normally considered a beneficial insect in your garden. They eat aphids, slugs, snails, and the larva of many other insects.

This means they are generally a good insect to have in your garden. But they can also cause damage to your plants and when that happens they become a pest that you want to control.

Plants Earwigs Damage

Earwigs often eat plant debris and act like little garden cleaners. But they also feed on a large range of plants that you would really rather they didn’t.

You’ll find them eating roses, zinnias, dahlias, marigolds, as well as many herbs. They are often found eating corn tassels too.

If you grow fruit it won’t take you long to find that earwigs are a pest of strawberries, peaches, and apricots. Really any sweet fruit they enjoy.

How To Get Rid Of Earwigs

1. Diatomaceous Earth

Using food grade diatomaceous earth is my favourite way of controlling earwigs in my garden.

Simply sprinkle the powder around the base of your plants. You can also apply it lightly to your plants but avoid doing it when they are flowering as it can also harm bees.

Diatomaceous earth is very sharp to insects, it causes small cuts to their exoskeleton and causes them to dry out.

It’s not effective after getting wet, so remember to reapply after it rains.

Get diatomaceous earth here.

2. Newspaper Or Cardboard Traps

This is an old fashioned way of getting rid of earwigs but it really works quite well!

Tie a small bundle of newspapers together and place them into your garden. Lightly dampen them and place them into your garden in the evening.

Earwigs feed at night and tend to look for shelter to hide in during the day.

Once the earwigs have moved into it, place the bundle into a bucket of soapy water to drown them.

If you are short on newspapers you can also roll one up into a tube and tie it together. This will make more traps with less paper.

Another way is to place some corrugated cardboard in your garden. Earwigs love to crawl into the little tunnels and use it as a hiding place.

3. Oil Trap

Take an empty cat food can or a tuna can and fill it up halfway with vegetable oil.

Then place this into your garden near the plants that are having an earwig problem.

The earwigs can crawl into the trap but will not be able to get out and will drown.

4. Sticky Traps

Earwigs are a crawling insect so adding a sticky barrier around the base of woody plants can help to protect them from damage.

Tanglefoot is made to keep crawling insects off your trees but even sticky tape or petroleum jelly can work.

Earwigs will get stuck in the trap before they can crawl up the tree and feed on your plant.

5. Chickens or Ducks

Chickens will eat a lot of pests including earwigs. Unfortunately, chickens can also cause a lot of damage to your garden.

Ducks on the other hand don’t damage garden plants nearly as much and still eat a lot of insects like earwigs and slugs.

5. Natural Predators

Often you will have a big problem with one insect when the natural balance is out of place in your garden.

So while you can use these tips to get rid of earwigs it’s a good idea to also start creating an environment that attracts natural predators to your garden.

Toads and birds eat a lot of insects and can be a big help in keeping your garden in balance.

Remember earwigs are generally considered a beneficial insect you shouldn’t be worried if you see a few in your garden.

But if they become a pest damaging your fruit and vegetable plants because their numbers get too high, use these simple ways to control them.

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