How to Rid of Earwigs in Your Garden

One of the more ominous-looking garden insects is the earwig. These small insects have long abdomens and pincer-like appendages. They roil around in moist garden mulch or beneath logs and other debris. It’s a common myth that earwigs enter a human’s ear to burrow into the brain, but this is false. Earwigs incite fear because of this myth and appearance rather than from their behavior.

Earwigs can be considered a pest but read on to discover more about the pros and cons of having earwigs in the garden and how to control them.

Identifying Earwigs

Earwigs are about 1/2 inch long and have flattened, elongated bodies. They can be pale, brown, reddish, or black. These insects have fearsome-looking but harmless pincher forceps, long antennae that measure half their body length, and six legs. Some are winged and some are not.

Silverfish, firebrats, and rove beetles are often mistaken for earwigs. However, only earwigs have two distinct appendages on their backside that form a pincer shape.

Life Cycle

Earwigs live about one year after hatching. Mating occurs in the fall when males and females live together in ground debris, crevices, or the soil. Eggs are laid in late winter or early spring and hatch in seven days into nymphs. Through a series of molts, the nymphs transform into adults, which will mate in the fall.

The previous generation typically dies out sometime during the growth of the nymphs into adults. Warm climates may see two generations of garden earwigs each year. Because cold weather kills off most earwigs, relatively few mating couples survive the winter to reproduce. These insects are not usually found in large numbers in cooler climates.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Earwigs

Common earwigs feed on tender shoots and make a mess of leaves and flowers but the damage they cause isn’t a major problem in most gardens. However, a large infestation can be detrimental to plants. They also emit an unpleasant odor when crushed.

As bad as earwigs look, they are not serious garden pests—and sometimes are more friend than foe. In their favor, earwigs eat aphids, snails, slugs, and some insect larvae so you might want them around.

5 Ways to Get Rid of Earwigs in the Garden

1. Dry Out the Garden

The first strategy to try—and often the only one necessary—is to clear the ground mulch from where they congregate and let the soil dry. You only have to do this temporarily, until the earwigs move on.

Then, replace the mulch on your garden soil. Removing mulch may also reduce slugs, snails, and similar pests, since they, too, thrive in moist debris covering the garden floor.

2. Use Homemade Traps

Place damp, rolled-up newspapers or small cardboard boxes (such as cereal boxes) in the garden area in the evening. Earwigs feed at night and look for a damp, sheltered spot to spend the day. You can pick up quite a few in the newspaper the next morning.

Another method is to set out traps made with shallow cat food or tuna cans filled with a thin layer of vegetable oil. The insects will be attracted to the oil as a food source and you eliminate many of the pests daily.

3. Apply Sticky Barriers

Apply a sticky barrier, such as Tanglefoot insect barrier, sticky tape, or even petroleum jelly at the base of woody plants. Earwigs crawl and get stuck in the sticky mess before they get up the tree or shrub to cause damage.

4. Use Diatomaceous Earth

Apply diatomaceous earth (DE) to the soil to deter earwigs; reapply in one week, if necessary. Diatomaceous earth is a natural mineral that contains the powdered remnants of fossilized diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae.

DE works as a pesticide because the sharp powder penetrates the shells or skin of creatures such as earwigs, slugs, and snails, causing them to lose body moisture.1 Organic gardeners prefer this natural, non-chemical pest control.

5. Use Pesticides

As a last resort, outdoor insecticides labeled for crawling insects can be used, such as diazinon. Follow the manufacturer’s directions carefully. Typically, it’s best to apply treatments in the evening, before feeding begins.

What Causes Earwigs in the Garden

Earwigs like damp, sheltered places, including mulched garden beds or areas under potted plants. These conditions, along with a supply of food, will tempt earwigs into your garden. However, since they are considered beneficial insects, they are only treated as pests when they cause damage.

These insects commonly eat plant debris they find on a garden floor and under containers. They may also feed on garden plants and seem especially fond of herbs, corn tassels, dahlias, marigolds, roses, and zinnias.

They can also be a pest of fruits such as berries, apricots, and peaches. Unfortunately, if none of their favorites are available, earwigs may feed on whatever plants they can find.

Earwigs are often considered beneficial insects and are sometimes deliberately introduced to control aphids and other damaging insects. Seeing only a few is more a cause for celebration than for panic. Garden earwigs require control only when their damage outweighs their benefits.

Preventing Earwigs

Earwigs prefer dark, damp areas. To prevent them from entering your garden in the first place, audit your yard and garden for areas that are more wet than they need to be. Look for leaky hoses that can be corrected or damp piles of wood that can be moved.

Remove excessive debris and trim overgrown plants to remove potential earwig habitats. Any weeds near the garden should be pulled, as they could harbor earwigs.