A good offensive strategy to getting rid of an earwig infestation is to make your home and garden less desirable to earwigs, while encouraging some of their natural predators. Whether you have had your garden vegetation ravaged by earwigs or have spotted them in your home, we can help you get rid of earwig problems!
To get rid of earwigs, we recommend a three-pronged approach. First, you need to eliminate the ones you have by vacuuming & spot treating for them indoors as well as laying traps and killing the ones you see outdoors. Second you will need to create an environment less friendly to earwigs by eliminating excess moisture and food sources. And third create an environment suitable for their natural predators, such as a bird baths or feeders to attract birds.
As you will discover in this article, ridding yourself of earwig problems does not necessarily mean being earwig-free. These pests can play an important role in the outdoor ecosystem. So we will walk you through each of these three areas step by step and help you solve this problem. The key is finding the right balance! We will show you exactly how to do that!
You may also be interested in reading these two related articles “How To Get Rid Of Grasshoppers” and “How To Get Rid Of Head Lice“.
Important Information About Earwigs To Know First
What Do Earwigs Look Like?
There are over 2000 species of earwigs throughout the world. While they can range in size, most earwigs in North America are typically ½” to 1” in length. Their flat, narrow bodies are reddish-brown in color. Earwigs are characterized by their distinct pinchers, used to ward off predators and catch prey. The females have short, straight pinchers, while the male’s pinchers tend to be longer and curved. While earwigs do have wings and can fly, but they typically do not.
Are Earwigs Harmful?
Earwigs are not harmful or dangerous to humans or pets. They have been known to use their pinchers to bite humans, but they are not known to transmit disease. The risk they pose is mostly limited to your garden vegetation. When they run out of decomposing organic material and other garden insects to feast upon, earwigs will target your plants, gnawing holes in leaves, chewing flower petals, and feasting on fruit.
Earwigs are not harmful or dangerous to humans or pets. They have been known to use their pinchers to bite humans, but they are not known to transmit disease. The risk they pose is mostly limited to your garden vegetation.
Why Do Earwigs Smell Bad?
If you have a large number of earwigs, especially indoors, you may have noticed their foul smell. In addition to their pinchers, earwigs secrete a yellowish substance that is used as a means of self-defense. While it is not harmful, it can be an annoyance.
When Are Earwigs Most Active?
Earwigs are nocturnal insects, hiding out during the day in dark, moist places. They thrive in warm, moist environments and tend to be busiest in summer months. In winter, they will burrow in the ground and hibernate, reemerging when conditions are right.
Eliminate Earwigs You Currently Have
Vacuum Earwigs Indoors & Spot Treat
When you encounter large quantities of earwigs in your home, the best approach is to simply vacuum them up. If their point of entry into your home is known, you can spot treat crevices, cracks and small openings near baseboards and pipes with an insecticide, such as DragNet. This will address any hiding earwigs the next time they emerge. Then turn your attention outside, to address the external point of entry.
Locate & Kill Earwigs Outdoors
Focus on crawl spaces and along your foundation, as these areas are conducive to earwig infestations. Any active earwig populations around the perimeter of your home can be treated using either DragNet or Delta Dust. Other areas to inspect are around facets, hose bibs, and drain spouts.
Diatomaceous earth (DE) can also be strategically sprinkled at potential entry points to your home (e.g. base and edges of doors), around the fences, and around the perimeter of your garden. DE is made up of fossilized organisms that appear under a microscope as sharp glass, which score the underside of the insect when they crawl through it.
Lay Earwig Traps In Your Garden
If earwigs are a big issue in your garden, in addition to insecticide or DE, you can lay traps in your garden that attract earwigs. The idea is to lay the traps in the soil, near the base of the garden plants that the earwigs are attacking. These trap should deter them, focusing their attention away from your vegetation.
Create a cylinder trap with household items, such as: a moist, rolled-up newspaper (not more than 1” in diameter), a short stick of bamboo, or a plastic drinking straw. Garden earwigs tend to migrate to these damp, tube-like traps. You should empty or replace your traps every 4 to 5 days, depending on how many earwigs you are attracting.
Create An Environment Less Friendly To Earwigs
Eliminate Excess Moisture
Earwigs need moisture to survive and thrive in warm, humid conditions. If you have spotted earwigs indoors, chances are it was in a wet or damp space such as a bathroom, kitchen, basement, garage or cellar. Within your home, you should minimize excess humidity in areas that are prone to earwigs (ideally <65% humidity).
Outdoors, earwigs are attracted to moist soil and are often found in large numbers under moist organic things (e.g. piles of leaves, logs/lumber, compost). Even inorganic material can trap moisture on the ground and keep the ground moist, making it conducive for reproducing (e.g. tarps, large stones and garden pots). To minimize earwigs, you should aim to reduce the number of these high moisture areas near your foundation and in your garden.
Keeping a clean, dry perimeter around your home is ideal. Opt for gravel over mulch in planters near the base of your home, where possible. In addition, gutter spouts should be kept away from the home. Drain spout extenders can help divert water to an area of your yard that is away from the foundation.
To minimize earwigs, you should aim to reduce the number of these high moisture areas near your foundation and in your garden.
Minimize Availability Of Food
Earwigs are scavengers that like to wander in search of food. They eat organic matter, including garden vegetation and small, slow moving insects such as: aphids, maggots, snails, worms and insect larvae. While earwigs can be beneficial by preying on other garden pests, they can be bad news for gardens if not kept under control.
Garden vegetation and other insects cannot be eliminated, but riding your home and yard of decaying wood and decomposing plant matter goes a long way in controlling earwigs. Keep a tidy flower bed and garden!
Some of an earwig’s favorite garden grub is flowers, lettuce, soft fruits and mint. If you do grow anything prone to earwigs, it is best to plant them away from your foundation and in a location with a few hours of direct sunlight each day to minimize moisture.
Grow Plants That Repel Earwigs
There are some herbs you can plant around your home that naturally repel earwigs (and some other insects), including: dill, garlic, anise, fennel, bay leaves and woodworm. When possible, look for opportunities to use these herbs in your companion planting.
Create An Environment Suitable For Natural Predators Of The Earwig
Earwigs have many natural predators, including: birds, beetles, toads, lizards, spiders and the tachinid fly. These natural predators can be an ally in combating your earwig problem. Make your yard attractive to these predators with a small, shallow garden pond, birdbath, birdfeeders, and various plants that attract the tachinid fly, including: calendula, dill and alyssum.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to earwigs, it isn’t all bad news. Earwigs can play an important role in minimizing other pest problems in your garden. You should aim for a balance of just enough earwigs so they are satisfied feasting on smaller garden pests and do not turn to the vegetation itself. Keeping a neat and tidy garden, free of decaying organic material, will be enough to keep earwig problems at bay in most gardens.