Dealing with this annoying pest in the Pacific Northwest is easier than you might think
summertime is here!Vegetable gardenshave yielded the firsttomatoesof the season , recurrent borders are overflowing with colorful blooms , yield is ripen in the woodlet , and rear shrub are flushing out with their 2nd stave of heyday . On the surface , it might appear that summertime brings nothing but a profusion of delightful blooms , lush greenery , and a profuseness of delicioussummer veggies , but alongside all this flowery and fruitful teemingness are the louse , birds , gnawer , and gravid critter that are the nemesis of any gardener ’s creation : European earwig .
There are so manypeststhat can play mayhem in the landscape , and the list of summer - combat-ready garden menaces is long . Deer , rabbits , opossum , andgophersare year - round irritants and do n’t take summer breaks . aphid , scale , slugs , and snails are also pesky much of the year , attain peak annoyance levels during spring and fall . Rose slugs show up in former spring , lingering on through early summer . Left ungoverned , these soft - bodied sawfly larvae can skeletonize rose foliation , damage blooms , strain rose bushes and devastate a whole rose garden . summertime ripening yield can end up feeding intact flocks of bluejays or crows — which is extremely frustrating when you ’re planning on cherry or peach Proto-Indo European ! In the veggie garden , Cucumis sativus beetlesbother all cucurbits , flea beetles pestereggplantsand bean crops , and tomato hornworms chew their way through the tomato plant . But the “ bad All - Round Summer Pest ” honor must go to the European earwig ( Forficula genus Auricularia ) . Native to Europe , this voracious , omnivorous dirt ball first arrived in the United States in 1907 . It overspread fast all over the country , reaching the West Coast by 1923 .
What is an earwig?
Earwigs ( aka pincher bugs ) are slender insect that get their name from an honest-to-god myth that they crawl into ears and burrow into brainiac while a someone is at peace . While this superstition has zero trueness to it , earwigs — with their oversize , curving pinchers — are still quite fearsome up close . swan in size from ¼ to 1 inch long , earwigs have elongate , leathery , planate bodies , six legs , and antennae that bar about one-half of their body length . These pesky critters are really only a problem during summertime , but they can be a big problem if their population is not hold . They are most active at night and obscure during the Clarence Day in drab , confine , dampish orbit .
How to spot earwig damage in the garden
Earwigs are voracious and corrode a variety of veggie , soft fruit , and flowers . They chew holes in mature leaves , berry , and blossoms , and can devour whole seedlings and young plants easily . Earwig feeding can be confused withslug and snail damage , but those gastropods can be ruled out as the perpetrator in the absence of a goop track . An out - of - ascendence earwig plague can even look like a rabbit encroachment .
How to control or eradicate earwig populations organically
Nobody likes a baseborn insect wreaking havoc in the garden . Luckily , you could keep these unwelcome creatures in check . Unless all else give out ( which it wo n’t ) , debar broad - base pesticide — they hurt good bugs as well as bad — and try the following secure , easy - control method alternatively .
clean up up : Monitor for and gain away likely earwig blot out topographic point , including flora dust , bricks , kill yield , overturned flower pots , and lumber piles . liberal , airy mulch can also shelter earwigs .
Watch for damp spots : Earwigs bang grim , damp places , so derogate excess wet and keep soil surfaces on the dryer side , if potential . Ensure that your landscape has good drainage and your irrigation system is destitute of leaks .
Create a haven for earwig piranha : Natural enemies include toads , dame , and lizards , which can all bet an significant persona in control the earwig universe , so encourage these good brute to take up residence in your garden .
specify out traps : A steady trapping program is crucial . Rolled - up newsprint or brusk lengths of polyvinyl chloride pipe make excellent housing for an earwig . set them where you surmise an infestation , and in the morning shake out the newspaper or pipe over a pailful of soapy pee . or else , slump tunny Pisces cans or empty yogurt containers into the filth overnight for light earwig access after you ’ve filled them halfway with a tasty 50 - 50 mixture of veggie fossil oil and soybean sauce . Prepare to be amazed in the morning . My hens rate marinated earwig among the just treat ever .
If the above conjuration do n’t control the earwig plague and you demand to resort to something inviolable , Sluggo Plus is the way to go . An environmentally favorable pelleted bait approved for organic gardening , Sluggo Plus eradicate not only earwigs but also sowbugs , slugs , snails , and pillbugs . As always , trace all direction on the recording label for better results .
Hopefully these earwig - eradicating tips will help you enjoy the beauty of your garden this summer .
— Fionuala Campion is the owner and manager of Cottage Gardens of Petaluma in Petaluma , California .
picture : Fionuala Campion
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They may be small, but earwigs can wreak havoc in a garden. They love destroying ripe fruit, tender blossoms, and succulent veggies. Spotting this summertime pest early enables you to control their populations easily.
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Earwigs are fairly simple to ID—simply look for their tell-tale rear pinchers and flattened bodies. They can grow up to 1 inch long if given the right conditions.
Earwig damage can closely resemble the rose slug damage seen here, but if there aren’t any slimy trails or wormlike perpetrators present, you likely have an earwig problem.
Garden areas that are scattered with plant debris and are slightly moist, like the one pictured, are the perfect hiding spots for earwigs. If you look closely enough, you’ll see one hiding in the upper left corner.
A short length of PVC pipe can act as a simple yet effective trap (left). Yogurt containers pierced with small holes for earwig entry are another trap option (center). Fill the plastic trapping containers with vegetable oil and soy sauce (right), which will attract score of earwigs to “marinate” until you can dispose of them.
Sluggo Plus is an organically approved bait that will eliminate earwigs as well as slugs and snails from your garden.
