How to control earwigs naturally

They feed at night and look for dark, cool and humid places to hang out during the day. Some common hiding places are under organic matter such as mulch, pine straw, litter and other debris, loose wood chip mulch, decaying matter, rotten fruit on the ground, wood, boards or tree branches that are on the ground, under dense growth of vines or thick canopy and pots, anything damp that provides shade and protects from the sun. In addition to hiding in piles of firewood that you did not use last year and let’s not forget to hang out inside that little wooded shed that you have back that you have not entered in years. While earwigs are scavengers, they eat dead insects, decompose plant materials, they can also eat live plants and damage your vegetables and feed on the flowers of plants, including marigolds, petunias, hibiscus, and many other plants. Earwigs leave many small holes in the leaves and flowers of plants.

Seedlings and most flowering plants can be seriously damaged or even killed when you have a large population of earwigs (coffee grounds will protect them). Earwigs can produce large populations fairly quickly and can become a major problem for the homeowner overnight! They are attracted to lights, so they will enter at night attracted by whatever light is on; as well as whatever lights you have on during the day that will make them hang out there, especially if it’s a cool area. Earwigs can be found in most homes and can enter through entry points like doors and windows, climbing through broken walls and any cracked openings, broken screens. They have a beneficial role in the landscape and have been shown to be important predators of aphids, mites, most insect eggs, and most soft-bodied insects such as whiteflies. They have a very unpleasant smell when crushed.

Some natural controls

Hint: earwigs are attracted to moisture

Control the water around the exterior of the house. Repair any leaks. Make it a drip system to keep the water underground. Regularly control weeds and clean up dead debris. Eliminate areas of high humidity around walls, in mulch, under rocks, boards, etc. Monitor damp and humid conditions in crawl spaces, taps, along the foundation. Change the landscape by creating a dry border immediately around the walls of the house. Gravel or flat stones can be an attractive barrier against earwigs and other pest invaders. Rain gutters should keep water away from the house. Seal or use weatherstripping at all possible entry points, such as doors, windows, pipes, repair screens, and doors and windows. Where earwigs are a problem, remove hiding places that have high levels of humidity. Start a regular daily trapping schedule. Elimination of earwig habitats is very important to the control of all insects, including earwigs. Since they are attracted to lights, stop turning them on outside at night. Remove the white light and install yellow LEDs in its place.

inside the home

Indoor earwigs should be vacuumed daily; be sure to kill and dispose of them by tossing them in a plastic bag and tying them up and throwing them away, right away so they don’t invade again. If earwigs are a regular problem in a building, survey the area to see how they are getting into the house and seal any cracks and all entry points. Repair all the broken screens.

Natural Sprays

Essential oil spray

You can make a natural spray that will prevent them from entering the house. Use 1/2 oz per gallon of water of any of the following available essential oils

1. citronella oil

2. cinnamon oil

3. pennyroyal oil

4. clove oil

5. lavender oil

6.citrus

7. basil

8. Any natural essential oil can be used. The above are just a few. Try yours.

Citrus Spray Use OTKO, a natural citrus cleaner. Spray directly through a sprayer. It will kill earwigs and most insects on contact. Spray soap Use any natural Castile soap such as Dr Bronners soaps. They make mint, lavender, almond, tea tree, and many other natural sources. Use 1 oz per gallon of water. Will kill earwigs when sprayed.

DE SPRAY Gadren Grade DE can be added to water and sprayed. The best way is to put some DE in a pair of pantyhose and suspend it in a gallon of water. Let stand, in a gallon sprayer and spray. When it dries, the de will act as a barrier and kill the earwigs that crawl on it. You can just use dusting the areas with it.

Check list

Empty, empty and empty …

Vacuum the earwigs inside your home. Vacuum very thoroughly and as often as necessary. Throw the bags in the trash.

natural powder

Garden Grade DE can be used as a powder around the house, as well as under the house and attic. Sprinkle lightly and let stand.

Boric acid can be used as a powder in crevices and other areas between the walls of the house.

Reducing Populations:

Indoor traps are an ongoing way to control earwigs in the home on a regular, long-term basis.

various traps

Ultimate Flea Trap is by far the best bug trap on the market. This one uses no chemicals and just a small light with a sticky mat that traps insects that are attracted to the light. Place one in each room that has earwigs. It also works on fleas (hence the name), as well as spiders, cockroaches, and most other insects.

Outside the house

Remove materials outside the building’s perimeter that could serve as a hiding place, such as ivy, plant debris, leaves in gutters, piles of old wood, old litter, piles of newspapers, or other organic material. Seal and repair cracks, crevices, and other openings around the foundation or around the exterior of the home. Control moisture around the building by repairing or replacing leaky faucets, leaking air conditioners, leaking drains, control water entering the foundation after rain, and provide crawl spaces to allow entry. Repair or change conditions to promote a drier environment. Caulk and weatherstripping around doors. windows bathrooms water outlets as well as power outlets.

Go through any indoor area that is dark and where they can hide. Cardboard boxes will be a great shelter for them to hang out indoors. Remove any other debris, such as old, unused firewood. Always keep moisture away from your home by repairing faulty rain pipes, maintaining levelness in an area so water drains away from the home, and maintaining adequate ventilation in crawl spaces to allow the area to dry out.

Earwigs are attracted to outside lights, so replace them with yellow LED lights, which are less attractive to earwigs. Treatment should be done outdoors with natural applications of garden-grade DE around the building foundation, flower beds, mulch and grass areas within a couple of yards of the building, as well as in the mezzanine areas of home. Treat in a two foot band around the building adjacent to the foundation to prevent earwigs from entering. Establish a dry edge around the base of the houses for great control.

Traps outside the house.

Newspaper: A rolled wet newspaper that is held together with a rubber band.

Cardboard box: Punch pencil-size holes along the bottom edge of the cardboard box.

Old Garden Hose – 12-24 Inch Garden Hose Parts

Used cat food can. Add 1/2 inch of any type of beer or wine.

Tupperware: Use a tupperware like a plastic container. Drill holes along the top edge of the tub, add 2 inches of any cheap wine and cover with the top and sink into the ground.

Finch Bird House can be used as a living unit where you can place an 8 oz plastic glass half filled with beer or wine. I’d try one of each and see which one attracts the most.

Trapping is a simple and effective approach to reducing earwig populations.

One of the key elements of a natural earwig management program is a daily active trapping system. Just before dark, place finch bird traps throughout your yard in places out of sight. In the morning, shake the traps over a bucket of Dr Bronners soap / water or any natural soap and water. Keep catching until you don’t catch any more earwigs. Traps can be hidden near bushes and plants that cover the ground, or against the house. For fruit trees, keep weeds, brush, and suckers (always prune) away from the base of trees year-round because they provide shelter for earwigs, snails, and other critters. Monitor populations by counting the numbers of earwigs caught in the traps.

Eliminate their habitat:

Altering the habitat around your garden will reduce earwig population and damage. Get rid of their hiding places – boards, weeds, piles of wood, plant debris, litter, and anything else that creates dark, damp hiding places. Do not plant dense ground covers, such as ivy, mint, grasses, next to vegetable or flower gardens. Grow vulnerable seedlings indoors until they can withstand a little chewing. Or start them outdoors on a table with legs protected by adhesive barriers.

Some people advise against using organic mulch because they say it provides shelter for pests like earwigs and spiders. I have the opposite view that organic mulch offers earwigs a diverse hunting area that will save your plants as well as meet the needs of the soil. Mulch can be kept clear of earwigs by dusting garden grade several times a year or just before and after each application of a new layer of mulch. Spraying the mulch with any natural soap will also control them.

Andy Lopez

The invisible gardener