How to Manage Earwigs in June: Garden Pest Tips and Traps

June Pest of the Month: Earwigs

The June pest of the month is the earwig. This is their peak time of the year. They’re ugly little suckers, and distinctive in their look: dark brown long body with light brown legs and forceps at the rear. (Those pincers are harmless to humans.)

They’re nocturnal pests, so they come out at night. During the day, they tend to hide in moist, cool shady spots, including under leaves, garden pots, wood or compost piles, and mulch.

Some feed on aphids, insect eggs and mites, which is beneficial, but they also tend to snack on seedling plants, fruit crops such as strawberries, and flowers such as dahlias, zinnias and marigolds. You’ll find tiny irregular holes in the leaves, or you’ll notice that the leaves have been chewed around the edges.

How do I get rid of them?
Trap them. Set out several homemade traps in your yard. One suggestion is to fill an empty tuna can (or other shallow can) with about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil. When the earwigs fall into the oil, empty the cans, refill with oil, and set it out again.

Another option is to use a moistened rolled-up newspaper or short piece of rubber hose. Put them out before dark, and when you catch some earwigs, shake them out into a pail of soapy water.

Try to eliminate areas where earwigs like to hang out. That means making sure you don’t have piles of yard debris, leaves, wood or other hiding places, especially near your vegetable beds.