Mother Earth’s Garden

Earwigs

by Rebecca on June 6th, 2007

If you are an avid gardener, and you know what earwigs are, then you’ll know that typically they are more of a nuisance than an actually problem. They are about a half to one inch with long antennae and pinchers on their abdomen. They can pinch, though they are not poisonous. Earwigs love dark damp cool places, especially if they can hide there during the day. They feed on plants, garbage, insects and very ripe fruit. Their favorite plant is Marigolds, though they will eat other plants. They normally don’t do any harm to the plants they feed on unless they are in large numbers. And of course I would be the one to acquire a freak infestation of them! All three of my hanging baskets of Lobelia died very suddenly after flourishing for a month. I went to clean out the baskets to reuse them, and found tons of earwigs in each one. It was quite frightening to see that many in one place. All I had to do was shake or knock the basket and they came falling out the bottom and crawling over the rim. Lobelia is a shade loving plant that likes moist soil and has a bushy cascading effect that shades the soil and keeps it cool. Perfect conditions for earwigs. And to top it all off, I had rectangular containers of Marigolds, their favorite plant, under each basket, as you can see here in a previous picture before the Lobelia died. Fortunately my Marigolds have not died but they did stop blooming and are receiving treatment for the earwigs.

If you are in a similar boat, or just want to get rid of the creepy little things, there are a few things you can do. Since Earwigs are typically a garden helper, the best thing is to simply stem the tide to a manageable number. You can place a damp rolled up newspaper near the area they are infesting. They will crawl in to escape the heat of the day. In the evening simply put the newspaper into a tightly bound bag or sealed container and throw out. Or for something more satisfying, shake them out and squash the little buggers. If your plants can handle it, let an area dry out. Also cleaning up leaves and other debris will help significantly. Earwigs have an unusual attraction to vegetable oil as well. Leave a pie tin or other low sided container filled with oil buried up to the rim, or placed next to the problem area, and they will find their way in and drown. To keep them out of the house, insecticides are your best bet. Spray window sills and doorways. Most insecticides that kill earwigs are not intended to be used in planters or directly in soil where you are gardening, but you can find them. Check with your local garden center.

sources: Wikipedia, About.com

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