Sasha CampbellEarwigs can be helpful because they eat some garden pests. However, if there are too many, they might harm seedlings, soft fruits, flowers, and vegetable crops.
As a result, if earwig populations become excessive, they may begin damaging seedlings, soft fruits, flowers, and vegetable crops, necessitating control.
Earwigs (pincher bugs) fall into the insect order Dermaptera [1]. They are found on every continent except Antarctica. The extreme cold conditions there prevent them from surviving.
How to Get Rid of Earwigs Naturally
Below are some of the best solutions for getting rid of earwigs in the garden, potted plants, and the home, organically.
1. Soapy Water
This solution is a simple home remedy for earwigs in the garden.
Mix 1 tablespoon of organic liquid dish soap with 1 quart of water, then pour it into a spray bottle.
Next, spray the soapy water directly onto the earwigs. It can kill or weaken earwigs on contact.
2. Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
Diatomaceous earth works well because it kills earwigs on contact.
Sprinkle food-grade DE around the roots of your crops, potted plants, and other areas where you’ve seen the pests.
Reapply after rain or watering because moisture reduces its effectiveness. Read more about how to make diatomaceous earth spray and use it in the garden.
This DE is our recommended brand for outdoor use. Diatomaceous earth can also kill earwigs in bathrooms and other personal spaces (like mailboxes).
3. Essential Oils
This remedy repels rather than kills earwigs, but anything that helps keep them away is helpful.
To use essential oils to get rid of earwigs, mix 15 drops of lavender, basil, peppermint, cinnamon, or clove oil with 4 ounces of water. Next, add the mixture to a spray bottle and spray it where the earwigs hide.
Strong-smelling essential oils may help discourage earwigs from treated areas. This natural earwig repellent is excellent for both indoor and outdoor use.
4. Vinegar
The strong smell may also temporarily discourage earwigs. You can mix it with water and spray it around the house.
Combine equal parts white vinegar and water in a container. Use the solution to wipe down areas where earwigs might enter your home.
The strong scent may temporarily discourage them.
5. Vacuuming
Vacuum up the earwigs and their eggs, and discard them in a sealed bag. You can also dispose of them in a container of soapy water to suffocate and kill them.
6. Natural Predators
There are also a few natural predators of earwigs.
In some regions, tachinid flies are important parasitoids of some earwig species. However, other natural predators include frogs, spiders, centipedes, and parasitic wasps.
7. Light Trap
Mix a large bowl of dish soap and water, and use it to eliminate an earwig infestation. Next, place the bowl outside where the insects are active at night.
Position a bright light over the container to attract earwigs. The light will attract them, and they will drown in the solution after falling in.
8. Oil and Soy Sauce Trap
For this bait-and-trap recipe, mix soy sauce and vegetable oil (50:50). Pour the solution into a container with a porous lid.
Next, bury the container in the ground, ensuring the lid matches the soil level.
Earwigs are attracted to the smell of the soy sauce mixture and will crawl in to get it. However, the oil will prevent them from crawling back out.
9. Birds
Another method to control earwigs organically is to attract birds.
Birds that may eat earwigs include bluebirds, cardinals, chickadees, and wrens. Therefore, try to attract birds to your garden.
10. Newspaper Trap
This method is a good use of old newspapers, as they make a nice trap for earwigs when they’re damp.
Roll several newspapers up, ensuring they’re loose so the pests can get into all the folds. Next, wet the newspapers enough to make them damp and place them around the garden at night.
In the morning, immerse the newspaper rolls in a pan of soap and water. The soapy water will kill the earwigs inside.
11. Boric Acid
Boric acid is another option that may help control earwigs indoors. It works by damaging the insects after they come into contact with or ingest it.
Lightly sprinkle boric acid powder in cracks and crevices. Also, apply it behind appliances and under sinks. These areas are where earwigs often hide.
Avoid applying it directly on garden plants or in areas accessible to children and pets.
You can also combine a small amount of boric acid with sugar or peanut butter to attract pests. Reapply as needed if the area becomes damp.
Always use boric acid carefully and follow the product label directions.
12. Beer
You can also make a DIY earwig trap using beer.
Bury them so the rim is just slightly above or level with the soil surface. Next, pour some stale beer into each container.
The smell of the beer will lure these pests in. They will then fall in and drown.
This beer trap also works excellently for slugs and snails.
13. Sticky Traps
Place duct tape (sticky side up) on cardboard strips and position them around plants. Earwigs may get stuck on it, especially during an infestation.
Replace the tape regularly if it becomes dirty or loses its stickiness. Alternatively, you can buy professional earwig traps like this tree wrap online.
14. Repellent Plants
Strong-smelling plants may help discourage earwigs in some gardens. These include garlic, bay leaves, peppermint, and wormwood.
When possible, use these as companion plants in your garden.
Also, planting herbs and flowers like calendula, fennel, alyssum, and dill will likely attract the tachinid fly, the earwigs’ greatest enemy.
15. Coffee Grounds
Some gardeners report that coffee grounds may help discourage earwigs, though results vary.
Sprinkle some at potential entry points to keep earwigs out of your home.
16. Rubbing Alcohol
Another homemade earwig spray is a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water.
Just pour equal parts rubbing alcohol and water into a spray bottle, shake it up, and use it to spray earwigs on non-plant surfaces.
It can kill earwigs on contact.
17. Azera
Azera is an excellent organic earwig pesticide that is safe to spray on plants, even on the day of harvesting.
Pyrethrins and azadirachtin are the main ingredients in this natural insecticide. You can use this product on most fruit and vegetable crops.
Always follow the product label instructions when applying any pesticide.
Earwig Prevention Tips:
- Remove piles of leaves, mulch, and debris.
- Reduce excess moisture around plants.
- Seal cracks around doors and windows.
- Avoid overwatering.
- Thin dense ground cover near the home.
Takeaway
Whether you call it an earwig bug, a scissor bug, or a pincher bug, earwigs can become garden pests when their numbers grow too large. They may also become pests in your home.
Using one or more of the control methods listed above will help control them naturally.
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