Winning the Battle Against Earwigs in the Flower Field
Earwigs are my biggest enemy by far. Over the years, I have learned how to win the battle against them, which I will share with you today.
Earwigs are known to be decomposers, but they are not that innocent. Their sleek, shiny brown to black, or even white or silver appearance (especially while molting) with pinchers at their rear are designed perfectly to be difficult pests to manage. They are great at hiding in the folds of petals, underneath fabric cloth, or tunneling in the moist soil to hang with the plant’s root system. They are everywhere and love especially wet areas, such as watered soil, and start rearing their ugly faces in late spring. They can even swim!
Without taking direct control to get a grip on them, they quickly get out of hand. Each season, when we begin to see plant damage, I wonder if there is a new culprit responsible for my always being out in the field at night with a headlamp to find hundreds of earwigs just munching away. Sure, we have some caterpillars and thrips, with some aphids here and there, but nothing compares to the earwig damage.
The earwigs are not necessarily picky about their meal choice but especially love young seedlings, zinnias, sunflowers, and dahlias—all our favorites to grow!
As with any pest management, there are some basic methods, and usually, a combination and rotation of products is needed to hit a pest population from varying facets—this is especially true of earwigs:
Contact Pesticides
Systemic Pesticides
Traps
Physical Barriers
Biologics
In our experience, earwigs are survivors, so it takes persistence to knock them down, especially when choosing to use natural, organic, and OMRI methods as we do for our flower field.
Using Contact Pesticides for Earwig Management
A contact pesticide is a spray that kills an insect directly in contact with it. This means you must hit the insect directly for it to work. We use contact pesticides as one of our population knockdown methods. Earwigs are most active at night, hanging out and chewing on the plants, and they hide in the soil during the day. We use a contact spray for earwigs right after sunset, which makes having a headlamp super handy. Another benefit to the timing of spraying is contact spray is not selective on which insects it will kill if sprayed; once it gets dark, our beneficial insects, such as bees, ladybirds, and praying mantises, tend to hunker down for the evening, which means the chance of spraying them greatly reduces.
We prefer two versions: one we purchase commercially and one we make at home using an inexpensive spray.
Using Pyrethrins for Earwigs
Pyganic is the product we purchase; it is made from pyrethrin compounds derived from chrysanthemums and is an OMRI-certified product. We use Pyganic sparingly throughout the season. It is a little pricey, but we especially find it useful for leafhoppers. It works on earwigs but not quite as well as our homemade contact spray. As a bonus, the homemade spray smells so much better!
Ratio: Follow the directions provided on the product bottle.
Application: Spray when earwigs are active at night. Pyganic can be used every 5-7 days for heavy infestations, and once the population is under control, it can be used every two weeks.
Homemade Pesticide for Earwigs
My favorite contact spray, especially for earwigs, is our homemade one. They can’t build up a tolerance to it since it simply suffocates them.
Castile soap and cheap vegetable oil. There are different brands and scents of castile soap. I prefer Dr. Bronner’s peppermint. The peppermint smells amazing (such a treat compared to Pyganic!) and has added benefits, such as being an insect repellent. If the spray itself doesn’t get them, the smell helps to deter them. Peppermint also has antifungal and antibacterial properties. Another scent that can be beneficial and still smells good is lavender.
Ratio: For every gallon of water, add 3 tablespoons of castile soap and 2 tablespoons of inexpensive cooking oil. Add water first, then the other ingredients, shake well, and then spray. Easy peasy.
Application: Spray directly on earwigs at night. For heavy infestations, you can spray every 7-10 days then move to applying every two weeks for maintenance.
If I am spot spraying, I’ll use a normal spray bottle like cleaning products come in and eyeball the ratios. However, when I’m spraying and am in battle with the earwigs, I typically use our battery-operated backpack sprayer, which holds four gallons.
As satisfying as I find directly killing the earwigs, as mentioned, they are super good at hiding, so it’s impossible for me to spray them directly, which is why we incorporate other products and methods, too.
Using Systemic Pesticides for Earwig Management
Systemic pesticides stay within the plant and mess with the insects internally. I use systemic pesticides sparingly since insects can more easily build up a tolerance to them. We use two main natural, OMRI-certified ones: Spinosad and Neem Oil.
Using Spinosad for Earwigs
Spinosad is a naturally occurring bacteria in the soil called Saccharopolyspora spinosa. Spinosad can affect insects by contacting it or by chewing or sucking on plants that have absorbed it. One of the reasons I like spinosad is once it dries, it is safe for beneficial insects. In our arid climate, spinosad-treated plants are usually dry within minutes, even when sprayed at night. Spinosad is a neurotoxin that causes paralysis and then death in insects. Spinosad can come in a liquid or pelleted form, such as in Sluggo Plus.
Ratio: Follow the directions provided on the product bottle.
Application: Spinosad can be reapplied every 7-10 days or after heavy rainfall.
Using Neem Oil for Earwigs
Neem oil is probably one of the most controversial natural pesticides out there. It works well, but without careful application and timing, it can kill beneficials just as well as pests. Plus, it is less forgiving in that it can burn plants. I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but this product, in particular, I use sparingly—sparingly. Double sparingly and only apply it at night.
Neem oil contains compounds called azadirachtins that mess with insects hormonally. It’s actually kind of a horrible death; it basically makes them zombies: It inhibits their growth and molting, deters their appetite, reduces their reproductive drive, and also acts as a repellent. Neem oil creates one of the slowest deaths for insects, depending on the level of exposure. It can take up to a week to ultimately kill the earwigs.
When opting to use Neem oil, you want to particularly use cold-pressed neem oil. If you decide to use 100% cold-pressed neem oil, you will also want to add in castile soap or another insecticidal soap to go with it for the most effectiveness. There are also products that come concentrated with insecticidal soap already in it which is convenient since pure cold-pressed neem oil solidifies and needs melting, especially in spring and fall.
Mixing Ratio: For every gallon of water, mix 2 tablespoons of cold-pressed neem oil with 1 teaspoon of castile soap. Shake well.
Application: I highly recommend applying in the evening, especially when combating earwigs, but it can be done in the early morning as well. Do not spray when there is direct sunlight on plants, and be sure plants are well hydrated. It can be reapplied every one to two weeks or after a heavy rain.
Earwig Traps
Spraying helps, but we use another tactic to lure and kill earwigs with traps. The best part is that the traps use ingredients that you probably have in your kitchen cupboard!
Earwigs aren’t picky eaters, but if they choose fresh leaves and something fermenting, they are more drawn to the rotting fermenting option! Some like to use beer, which works great for slugs, too. We prefer to use soy sauce and cheap cooking oil. The soy sauce lures them, and the cooking oil traps them, ultimately suffocating them.
Ratio: In a small container such as a deli container or a tuna can, you can put 50/50 of soy sauce and cooking oil. You can also add high fructose corn syrup, but we have found that keeping it simple with soy sauce and cooking oil works just as well.
Application: Dig a small hole to place the trap in to make it flush with the ground. We prefer to lure the earwigs out of the growing beds by placing the traps in the middle of the walkways, but they could be placed in the growing beds, too, if you have room. After a rainstorm or when they become too full, discard them and replace them with fresh traps.
Just watch out for pets that don’t get into the traps! Our goofy dogs have never been into it, but it is something to be aware of so that no one gets an upset tummy.
Physical Barriers for Earwig Control
While working on reducing the earwig population, you may still need to protect specific blooms for upcoming orders. This is especially true for delicate flowers like dahlias. Using physical barriers such as organza bags can be very effective in this situation. The netting may not prevent smaller pests like aphids or thrips, but it can help keep earwigs at bay.
Application: Place an organza bag over the flower head when it is in the bud stage and secure it tightly. Ensure that the bag does not directly touch the flower head to prevent damage. Be vigilant during rainy periods, as excess moisture can cause the flower heads to rot if trapped inside the bag.
Using Biologics for Earwig Control
Earwigs may be our enemies, but thankfully, they have some too!
My favorite approach to battling earwigs is to fight nature with nature. This means creating a thriving and welcoming space in our garden to encourage biodiversity and beneficials.
Some predators of earwigs are:
Ants: I have seen them carry many a dead earwig away.
Ground beetles, such as carabid beetles.
Spiders, such as wolf and jumping spiders.
Centipedes, who go on night patrol to consume earwigs, amongst other pests.
Birds, such as finches and robins. We have also started utilizing our domesticated birds, such as chickens and ducks.
Toads and frogs: They are especially helpful in the humid propagation houses.
Lizards: Our blue-bellied lizards love to snack on earwigs in between munching on grasshoppers!
Keep the flower field Maintained
Earwigs will find any nook and cranny to hide in, so let’s remove as many hiding places as possible by:
Keeping the Flower Field Debris-Free: Regularly clean up fallen leaves, plant debris, and dead vegetation from your garden beds.
Clearing Mulch Away from the Base of Plants: While mulch can help retain soil moisture, it can also provide a moist environment for earwigs. Keep it away from the base of your plants.
Building Compost Piles Away from the Garden: Place compost piles a good distance away from your garden to avoid attracting earwigs and other pests.
Elevating Seedling Trays or Hydroponic Plants: Use boards or vented crates to raise seedling trays or hydroponic plants off the ground. Apply Tanglefoot on the legs of tables to prevent earwigs from climbing up.
Dealing with earwigs can be a real challenge, but with some persistence and the right mix of strategies, you can protect your garden and keep your blooms looking their best. Whether you're using contact sprays, systemic pesticides, traps, or physical barriers like organza bags, each method plays a crucial role in controlling these pesky critters.
Don't forget about the power of nature, too. Encouraging natural predators and creating a biodiverse garden can help keep earwig populations in check. Consistency is key, so stick with it, and you'll see results.
Do you have a favorite method to battle earwigs? Be sure to share with us in the comment section below!
Until next time, we are looking forward to helping you hand blooms soon!
Jessica & Graham
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