These ominous-looking insects have nothing against wigs or ears, but they will undoubtedly target garden plants. Here are some suggestions for dealing with earwigs, commonly referred to as “pincher bugs,” in the garden.
What Are Earwigs?
Although they can be found in practically every growth zone, earwigs prefer warm, humid environments. They move quickly, are nocturnal, and tend to hide during the day when you are taking care of the garden, so you might have problems seeing one. They favor damp, dark areas with decaying plants and wood. They are frequently discovered in woodpiles and basements.
Only earwigs make up the insect order Dermaptera, which includes other ancient crawlers that first appeared on Earth roughly 208 million years ago. The Earth’s polar regions are the only places where there are fewer than 2,000 species today. The term “earwig” derives from the Old English word ear-wicga, which means “ear wiggler,” because it was originally believed that the bug sought out human ears to live in. They are referred to as “ear piercers (perce-orielles)” in France and “ear worms” in Germany (Ohrwrmer).
We are primarily accustomed to the European species Forficula auricularia in North America. Early 1900s reports of earwigs in North America led to their current distribution throughout the majority of the US as well as some areas of Canada.
The social life of earwigs is quite active. Because they frequently discover the same hiding locations during the day, they assemble there. Since they are not territorial and their nests might number in the thousands, they frequently coexist with one another.
What Do Earwigs Eat?
Pincher bugs are omnivores, which means they’ll consume almost anything offered to them. They mostly eat dead or decomposing plant and animal materials in the garden. However, if their population outgrows control, they may start eating living plant material, particularly the young foliage or seedlings of vegetables and flowers. They will also happily eat army worms, maggots, grubs, and insect eggs.
This is a problem for gardeners. Should you let earwigs stay in your garden to consume pests like aphids and other critters? Or ought to they be eliminated before they start focusing on your plants? Earwigs typically don’t cause enough harm to be worth battling. However, you might think about taking action if you do notice a lot of them surrounding your plants.
Do Earwigs Pinch?
An earwig’s pincers near the end of its abdomen appear to be rather strong. Humans can be pinched by them (and occasionally bit), but the pinch is not particularly strong. The pincers of earwigs are typically used to fend off predators like toads and birds or, in some species, to capture prey.
The “cerci,” or pincers, are crucial for romance. They serve as gender markers, just like an elephant’s tusks do. The pincers of an earwig are lengthy and curved in males whereas they are shorter and straighter in females.
How to Identify Earwigs
- Earwigs can grow to a length of around 3/4 inch. They are ruddy-brown insects with what appear to be forcep-like appendages on their tails. The earwig is one of the few insects with a pair of terrifying-looking pincers. Because of this, some people refer to them as “pincher bugs” or “pinching bugs.” These appendages are known as cerci, and they are attached to the insect’s abdomen.
- Earwigs can fly, but they don’t often do so. They can move quite swiftly. In reality, they have two sets of wings, and their pincers help to spread them out.
- Do earwigs consume anything? An earwig is a nocturnal creature that prefers to eat decaying plant matter and wood, while it will also attack living plants, such as decorative plants, ornamental trees, and vegetables, if given the chance. Flowers, lettuce and other delicate greens, celery, and fruits are among the foods that earwigs enjoy the most.
- In underground tunnels, female earwigs lay 40 to 50 lustrous eggs. Oddly enough, the moms carefully tend to the eggs and keep predators away. It is exceedingly difficult to manage earwig populations before they hatch because they hatch in approximately a week.
- Simply enough, nymphs resemble adult earwigs in tiny. They go through many skin changes before maturing ten weeks later.
- Earwigs frequently spend the day hiding under pots, then at night they consume the flowers in the pots.
Signs of Earwig Damage
- The leaves will look ragged and pock-marked. Overnight, plants will start to look ragged, and some leaves might only get eaten partially. Additionally, there will probably be a scattering of the little, black pellets that make up earwig excrement.
- When it rains, earwigs are forced to seek out dry shelter by climbing up into plants and foliage, which often results in damage.
- The earwigs can be hidden behind containers holding ailing plants.
- Earwig damage resembles slug and snail damage in appearance. Look for the distinguishing feature of slugs and snails, which is a trail of slime leftover on vegetation, to distinguish between the two.
How to Get Rid of Earwigs
Although they can be just as annoying, earwigs typically pose less of a damage to your garden than insects like Japanese beetles and aphids. Keep in mind that they can emit a nasty smell when disturbed. Consider these cures:
- In the spaces between your plants, place bamboo or garden hose segments that are one foot long. Every morning, check these “traps, and throw the earwigs into a pail of soapy water.
- Apply petroleum jelly all over the plant stems. Earwigs won’t dare crawl on top of it.
- Try sprinkling borax around your woodpile if they are there, but after you do, keep kids and dogs away from the area.
- Oil pit traps are a fantastic earwig treatment. In a little plastic jar with a lid, combine equal parts soy sauce and olive or vegetable oil. Make holes near the lid in the top of the container. Create openings that the earwigs can fit through. Just up to the holes, bury the container in the ground. The earwigs will be drawn to the soy sauce, and the oil will stop them from escaping. Adjust the mixture as necessary. Less is known about building earwig traps.
- Alcohol acts as a surfactant, or wetting agent, which can through an insect’s waxy shell of armor and kill on contact with the body, controlling these pests. Rubbing alcohol (isopropanol) works well and is widely available, but be sure it is free of chemicals. It seems that ethanol (grain alcohol) works the best. In retailers, alcohol is typically sold at a 70 percent strength (or 95 percent strength purchased commercially). Equal parts water and 70% alcohol should be combined to create an insecticidal spray; if using 95% alcohol, the ratio should be 1 part alcohol to 1.5 parts water. Target the insects specifically since the spray needs to come into contact with them in order to be effective.
- WARNING: Always test an insecticidal spray on a single leaf before spraying it on your plants. To see if the plant has a bad reaction, wait 24 hours and then keep an eye on it. If it does, further diluted your alcohol solution and retest.
- If the soil is dry enough, you might want to consider applying a ring of diatomaceous earth (DE) around the bases of the plants to deter earwigs. DE is useless in rainy conditions. Avoid putting DE near flowers because it will also kill pollinators.
How to Prevent Earwigs
- Rainy years will bring more earwigs, so be ready by clearing away plant debris and other potential hiding spots.
- Ivy-covered walls and hedges may be home to many earwigs; keep vulnerable plants away from these areas.
- Earwigs are naturally eaten by toads and birds. See our advice on designing a garden that is welcoming to birds.
- On occasion, earwigs will enter your home from mulch and other exterior damp materials. Although they aren’t dangerous, they can nonetheless be annoying. Check everything you bring inside for pests to avoid this, especially laundry, patio furniture, flowers, veggies, indoor plants, and firewood. A zone of bare soil that will dry out should be established and mulch moved away from the house’s foundation. Vacuum them up if earwigs do manage to get inside your house.
How can I eradicate earwigs from my plants?
- When it’s dry outside, remove any mulch from surrounding plants that are infested with earwigs and scatter diatomaceous earth all around them. This finely ground dust kills earwigs by dehydrating them and causing scratches to their fragile body parts. Because it can be dangerous if breathed, use it according to all label instructions.
- Spray locations where earwigs congregate with a solution made of water and dishwashing detergent.
- Spraying earwigs with a solution of water and rubbing alcohol (70%) in equal parts can kill them instantly. Note: Before treating an entire plant, spray just one leaf and wait 24 hours to make sure it won’t harm the plant.
- In regions where you’ve noticed earwigs, use boric acid, which is available at hardware stores. It can be hazardous, so keep it away from young children, pets, and other animals.
- Use a herbicide with an earwig control label. Follow all label instructions carefully to ensure your safety, which may include utilizing certain goods exclusively outside your house.
- Invite animals that naturally eat earwigs, such as birds and toads, to your garden.
- Pinch bugs and any visible eggs should be vacuumed out.
How can earwigs be repelled outside?
Start by removing their hiding spots to aid in helping to prevent future issues. Get rid of any wood storage, overgrowth, and leaf piles from the yard. Maintain a 6- to 12-inch distance between mulch, dead leaves, and other vegetation and the foundation of your home. In order to assist minimize damp, shady places, especially close to the house, prune trees and shrubs.
Additionally, there are things you can do in and around your house to avoid earwig issues in the future. To avoid moisture buildup that can attract earwigs, ensure sure gutters and downspouts are clean and correctly draining away from the house. Fill up any gaps and crevices around your home’s foundation. Check for leaks, gaps, or screen tears in doors, windows, even attic and foundation vents. In the basement, use a dehumidifier to assist remove any extra moisture, and fix any leaky faucets both inside and outside.
Finally, to help stop earwigs outside before they can enter your home, apply Ortho Home Defense Insect Killer for Indoor & Perimeter around the outside of your house, around door and window casings, and along baseboards.
Eat outside plants do earwigs?
Earwigs prefer moist, protected settings, such as mulched garden beds or spaces beneath potted plants. These circumstances will entice earwigs into your garden, along with a source of food. They are only classified as pests when their damage gets out of hand, though, as they are thought of as useful insects.
Earwigs frequently consume plant matter they discover on the ground and in containers in gardens. They may also eat a variety of garden plants, although they seem to particularly enjoy dahlias, marigolds, roses, and zinnias as well as herbs and corn tassels. They may also be a pest of berries, apricots, and peaches, among other fruits. Earwigs may unfortunately eat whatever plants they can find if their preferred plants aren’t accessible.
However, earwigs are frequently seen as advantageous insects and are occasionally purposefully introduced to reduce aphids and other harmful insects. Only seeing a few is more of an occasion for joy than for concern. Only when the plant harm they cause outweighs their benefits do garden earwigs need to be controlled.
Earwigs don’t typically bite or feed on blood, but if you pick one up by hand, they might pinch you in defense.
After hatching, earwigs have a lifespan of roughly a year. Males and females can be seen living together in ground debris, cracks, or the soil throughout the fall, when mating takes place. Insect nymphs, which are smaller replicas of adult insects, are produced from eggs that are placed in late winter or early spring. The nymphs progressively develop into adults through a series of molts, who will mate in the fall. The preceding generation often passes away as the nymphs are developing into adults. Garden earwigs may have two generations per year in warm regions. Few mating partners survive the winter to reproduce because cold temperature kills the majority of earwigs. As a result, this bug is not typically widespread in colder areas.
Earwigs don’t carry disease, but even if they did, it wouldn’t be a big deal as they hardly rarely bite and don’t spread pathogens to human food. They may, however, spread bacterial or fungal plant diseases across the garden, while other insects that predominately consume living plants are much more likely to do so.
There are numerous Forficula species that go by the term “earwig,” and some of them are typical pantry pests. The common (or European) earwig (F. auricularia), on the other hand, is generally an outdoor bug and only seldom encountered indoors. They are typically found inside in damp, dark places, like beneath stacks of newspapers or cardboard boxes. They might also travel by hitchhiking on summertime outside potted houseplants. However, the common earwig does not consciously seek for indoor settings to feed or hibernate. It is most probable a different, earwig-like species if you see large numbers of these insects indoors.
Greek words are, which means “ear,” and wicga, which means “beetle,” are the source of the common name. The origin of this name is a subject of several theories. According to some entomologists, term comes from the way the hind wings seem like human ears when they are spread out. An older wives’ story about earwigs digging into people’s brains through their ear canals to lay eggs is thought to be the inspiration for several horror and science fiction movie plots. This is the more frequently accepted theory. Given that there is almost no reliable evidence of such a thing, even if it’s not unheard of for insects to inadvertently get up in a human ear, this may have been more of a cautionary tale intended to encourage children to practice better hygiene.
How can I naturally get rid of earwigs in my garden?
Since they consume aphids, earwigs occasionally have a positive impact on your garden. Try the following measures to get rid of them, though, if they start to harm your plants or infest your house.
How to Repel Earwigs
Use of repellent techniques may be sufficient to get rid of earwigs if they are in your yard. Start by attempting to reduce both food sources and hiding areas.
- Rake up any fallen fruit as well as any plant debris, such as leaves.
- Any leaves or branches that are dead should be pruned away.
- Wood piles should be moved out of the way of the house’s sides and your garden.
- Gutters should be cleaned, especially if they are overflowing with fallen leaves.
After making the room as earwig-proof as feasible, you can utilize everyday items to make your plants less enticing. Spray the foliage of your plants with a solution made up of water and a few drops of mild dish detergent. This soapy water can also be used to clean leaves, rendering them tasteless to earwigs.
Similarly, you can apply petroleum jelly to the plant stems to keep earwigs from being able to climb them. Both of these techniques shouldn’t be harmful to your plants.
You can always make your yard or garden more bird-friendly if you’re looking for a long-term fix. Birds may enhance the beauty of your yard while also acting as a natural predator of earwigs and other pests. Birds in the area will be drawn by adding bird baths, birdhouses, or bird feeders.
Pesticides
Sevin, malathion, or pyrethrins should be included in an efficient insecticide, but if you’re applying it indoors, check sure the labeling on the bottle says it’s okay to do so. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions and test a little amount on a single leaf before using the product on or near plants.
Traps
You might also think about creating an earwig trap because each earwig must come into contact with an insecticide for it to be effective, and it can be challenging to find them all. There are numerous approaches you can take.
- Grab a cardboard tube or some damp newspaper, then roll it up. This will be a cozy hiding spot that ought to draw earwigs.
- Place a can containing equal parts vegetable oil and soy sauce where you think earwig activity may be occurring. Additionally, you can bury it outside flush with the ground. According to legend, earwigs are drawn to the soy sauce’s aroma, but the vegetable oil will keep them from escaping the trap.
- Because earwigs are nocturnal and drawn to strong light, you can make any of these traps more successful by placing a nightlight nearby.
- Put live earwigs you find in your traps in a bucket of soapy water to destroy them.
Natural Methods
There are several non-pesticidal ways to get rid of earwigs. Organic materials that destroy earwigs include boric acid and diatomaceous earth. You can sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth in the garden, along baseboards, and other areas where earwigs congregate, but keep in mind that if it gets wet, it loses its efficacy. To destroy earwigs, you can blow boric acid powder into gaps and crevices, but keep it away from kids and pets.
How to Keep Earwigs Away
After the infestation has been eliminated, spend some time preparing your house and yard to fend against earwig problems in the future. If you haven’t already, follow the recommendations for repelling earwigs and plug up any openings in screens, around pipes and vents, and next to electrical wires that could serve as entry points.
Caulk can be used to repair any cracks in your home’s walls or foundation. To make a “moat of dry, bare earth that earwigs are less likely to cross,” move mulch or overgrown plants away from the sides of your house.
To prevent regions of moisture from accumulating indoors, mend leaky pipes or drains, and in damp, inadequately ventilated places, use a dehumidifier. Look for any cracks near windows and doors where earwigs could enter and seal them.