Earwigs are those creepy crawlies with pincers that seem to appear overnight in your garden. While they're not exactly vicious, and their pincers are weak, they can become a nuisance, munching on your precious plants and leaving droppings.
From creating an unwelcoming environment to natural deterrents and traps, we have prepared a list to deter these bugs. By following these steps, you can reclaim your garden and say goodbye to earwigs.
How To Get Rid of Earwigs Naturally
The first line of defense in getting rid of them is natural exclusion, essentially making your home and garden uninviting and difficult for them to access.
1. Eliminating Attractants
Earwigs are drawn to moisture and decaying organic matter. By eliminating these attractants, you make your home and garden less appealing. This means fixing leaky faucets, pipes, and cracks in your foundation to eliminate damp hiding spots.
Outdoors, regularly rake away leaves, debris, and fallen fruit that could harbor moisture and provide earwig food sources.
These bugs can squeeze through surprisingly small openings. Sealing cracks and crevices around your house's windows, doors, and foundation is crucial to prevent them from entering indoors.
Pay particular attention to areas where pipes, cables, or other utilities enter your home, as these can be potential entry points.
3. Dry Out the Garden
Earwigs breathe through tiny holes in their bodies and need moisture to survive. By creating a drier environment in your garden, you make it less hospitable for them. This might involve improving drainage, especially in areas that tend to collect water.
You can also adjust your watering habits to avoid overwatering plants and creating damp conditions.
4. Maintain Sunlight and Airflow
They prefer dark, damp areas. Strategically trimming overgrown plants allows for better sunlight penetration and air circulation, creating a drier and less welcoming environment for them to thrive.
5. Improve Drainage
Poor drainage in your garden can create stagnant water which is a prime breeding ground for earwigs. So, consider building raised beds, tilling the soil to improve water absorption, or installing drainage ditches to channel excess water away from your plants and property.
How To Get Rid of Earwigs In Yard
Earwigs might be resilient, but they're not precisely fearless. While exclusion is key, you can also employ some scare tactics to make them think twice about staying around. Here's how these methods work:
6. Elevate Garden Mulch
Earwigs thrive in moist, dark environments like garden mulch. Keep mulch at least 6 inches away from the foundation of your home and limit the depth to reduce moisture retention.
This practice makes your garden less attractive to earwigs, helping to control their populations.
7. Use Essential Oils
They have a strong sense of smell, and certain scents are particularly offensive to them. Diluted solutions of essential oils like peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, cinnamon, garlic, or basil can be sprayed around areas where you've seen earwigs.
The strong aroma disrupts their senses and deters them from lingering. However, always test a small area on plants first to ensure the solution doesn't damage them.
8. Sprinkle Spent Coffee Grounds
The smell of used coffee grounds can be a surprising deterrent to earwigs. So, sprinkle them around the perimeter of your house or garden beds. The strong, slightly acidic aroma and rough texture create a barrier that discourages earwigs from venturing further.
This method packs a spicy punch. Mix cayenne pepper with water and create a spray to target potential entry points like cracks or near doors. Be very cautious when using this method, as it can irritate eyes and skin. Also, avoid spraying directly on plants or near pets.
How To Kill Earwigs
While exclusion and scare tactics are important, sometimes you need a more direct approach. Here's how some natural deterrents can help you keep earwigs in check:
10. Use Traps
DIY Trap
You don't need fancy equipment to create effective earwig traps. Simply roll up damp newspapers and strategically place them around your home and garden. Earwigs seeking shelter will crawl inside, mistaking the dampness for a haven.
Check these traps regularly and dispose of them or drown any captured earwigs in soapy water.
Simple Soap Traps
For a more low-maintenance option, try shallow dishes filled with soapy water. Place them near potential entry points or in areas where you've seen earwig activity.
The soapy water creates a deadly trap for earwigs drawn to the water source. Empty and refill the dishes as needed.
Pre-Made Sticky Traps
If you prefer a more "set-it-and-forget-it" approach, consider using commercially available sticky traps. These traps often utilize scents or colors that attract earwigs, leading them onto a sticky surface from which they cannot escape.
Check the manufacturer's instructions for proper placement and disposal of these traps.
This powder, made from fossilized algae, is a natural desiccant. When insects crawl through DE, it damages their waxy outer coating, causing them to dehydrate and die.
Sprinkle DE around areas where you've seen earwigs or around the perimeter of your house. Be sure to choose food-grade DE if using it near plants or pets, and wear a mask when applying to avoid inhaling the dust.
12. Apply Sticky Barriers
While not the most aesthetically pleasing option, sticky barriers can be effective for controlling earwig populations. Create a barrier around potential entry points, like the base of trees or around raised garden beds, using commercially available sticky tape designed for insect control.
This will trap earwigs attempting to climb onto your plants or enter your home.
How To Get Rid of Earwigs From Coming Back
It is crucial to keep earwigs far from your place. These are the ways you can keep them away from coming back:
14. Beneficial Nematodes
Beneficial nematodes are microscopic worms that prey on earwig larvae in the soil. Apply nematodes to your garden according to the product instructions.
They help control earwig populations by reducing their ability to reproduce. This eco-friendly method promotes a healthy garden ecosystem.
Earwigs are attracted to moist environments. Reduce moisture in and around your home by fixing leaks, improving drainage, and using dehumidifiers. Keep garden beds well-drained and avoid overwatering. Reducing moisture makes your home and garden less hospitable to earwigs.
16. Clean Debris
Remove piles of leaves, wood, and other debris from around your home and garden. These areas provide ideal hiding spots for earwigs. Keeping your yard clean and free of clutter reduces earwig habitats and helps control their populations.
17 . Birds and Predators
Encourage natural predators like birds, frogs, and toads to visit your garden. Install bird feeders, birdbaths, and nesting boxes to attract birds. Creating a habitat that supports natural predators helps control earwig populations without the use of chemicals.
Pesticides can effectively eliminate earwigs, but they should be used as a last resort because they can harm humans, pets, and beneficial insects.
Therefore, always follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully when using any pesticide product. Wear proper protective gear, such as gloves and a mask, during application. Pesticides can also contaminate soil and water sources, harming beneficial organisms and potentially impacting the ecosystem.
Here are some things you need to consider:
Targeted Application: Choose a product specifically labeled for earwig control. This will ensure it's effective and minimize the risk of harming other insects.
Spot Treatment: Focus on areas where you've seen earwig activity rather than applying pesticides broadly. This helps reduce the environmental impact and potential exposure to beneficial insects.
19. Use Insecticide
Use an insecticide spray labeled for earwig control to treat infested areas. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application and safety.
Apply the spray to garden beds, around the foundation of your home, and other areas where earwigs are found. Reapply as directed to maintain effectiveness.
20. Use Boric Acid
Boric acid is a natural insecticide that can be used to control earwigs. Sprinkle boric acid powder around the foundation of your home, in garden beds, and in other areas where earwigs are active.
The earwigs ingest the boric acid, which disrupts their digestive system and leads to death.
Earwigs have some interesting physical features, including a long, narrow body that's flattened from top to bottom. This shape allows them to easily squeeze into tight spaces and navigate through leaf litter and mulch. They're relatively small insects, typically ranging from ¼ inch to 1 inch in length.
Their color, on the other hand, might vary, but they most commonly come in shades of brown. You might find them in light brown, reddish-brown, or even black.
Distinctive Features
• Pincer-packed Rear: The most striking feature of earwigs is a pair of pincers, or forceps, located at the tip of their abdomen. These pincers are often a source of fear, but they're quite weak and rarely strong enough to pierce human skin. Their primary purpose is for defense and catching small prey.
• Antennae: Earwigs have long, thread-like antennae protruding from their head. These antennae help them navigate their environment and sense their surroundings.
• Six Legs: They have six thin legs that are well-suited for running and navigating through their habitat.
What Causes Earwigs in Garden?
Earwigs aren't exactly drawn to your garden but rather find the conditions there very inviting. They thrive in damp environments and breathe through tiny holes in their bodies and need moisture to avoid drying out.
Factors like frequent watering, overgrown plants, or areas with poor drainage can create the perfect haven for them. Earwigs also love to hide and lay eggs in dark, damp crevices. A garden with plenty of leaf litter, mulch, piles of debris, or overgrown vegetation provides them with ideal hiding spots.
While earwig bugs are primarily scavengers, they also eat decaying plant matter, tender plant shoots, and even small insects. Gardens rich in organic matter, like fallen leaves or compost piles, offer a readily available food source for them.
What Do Earwigs Eat?
Earwigs in the house or garden play a valuable role as decomposers in the garden ecosystem. They munch on fallen leaves, dead plant material, and other organic debris, helping to break it down and return nutrients to the soil.
They might also feed on live plants, especially when other food sources are scarce. They're particularly fond of tender seedlings, young leaves, and soft fruits. This can sometimes make them a nuisance for gardeners.
Similarly, earwigs are opportunistic predators and will readily consume other small insects they encounter. This can include aphids, mites, slugs, and even other earwigs. In some cases, this predatory behavior can actually benefit your garden by helping to control populations of harmful pests.
