Controlling earwigs without chemicals

Jun 16, 2011

by Margaret Inwood, County Master Gardener

Earwigs live for only one year and may die during the winter months. In early spring, any surviving females lay their eggs in tiny nests in the top 5cm of the soil. It is a good time to dig around all plants to disrupt the larvae and expose them to air, which kills them. Also, cultivating the soil during the summer will prevent larvae from thriving. In the fall, remove all debris that could provide over-wintering sites. Favourite hiding places for earwigs include cracks, curled leaves and crotches on trees and shrubs. They also like to hide in the blossoms of flowers with many petals or have deep throats.

One can create instant traps with anything that will provide shelter. Newspapers folded or rolled can be placed near damaged plants and the earwigs will take cover in the folds in early morning. In mid-morning, you can shake the newspaper out into a pail of soapy water, which will kill them. Hollow bamboo canes or pieces of old garden hose can be placed along house foundations or wherever earwigs are found and shaken into soapy water in the morning. You can also use a spray of 20-25 mL of liquid soap to 4.5 litres of water and spray on the plants at dusk. The reduction of a season’s population will also reduce the population of subsequent years as earwigs only breed once a year.

Submit your gardening questions to our website at www.lanarkmastergardeners.mgoi.ca.