How to Control Earwigs Naturally

They do feed at night and do seek out dark, cool, moist places to hang out during the day. Some common hiding places are under organic matter such as mulch, pine straw, leaf litter, and other debris, loose wood chip mulches, decaying matter, rotten fruit on the ground, wood, boards or tree branches that are on the ground, under dense growth of vines or thick cover and flower pots, any thing moist that will shade and protect them from the sun. As well as hiding in piles of firewood you did not use last year and let us not forget hanging out inside that small wooded shed you have out back that you have not been gone inside in years. While Earwigs are scavengers, eating dead insects, decomposing plant materials they can also eat live plants and damage your vegetables and feed on the flowers of plants, including marigolds, petunias, hibiscus, and many other plants. Earwigs leave many small holes in plant leaves and flowers.


Some Natural Controls
Hint: earwigs are attracted to moisture

Inside the Home

Natural Sprays
Essential Oil spray
You can make a natural spray that will keep them from coming into the house. Use 1/2 oz per gallon water of any of the following essential oils available

1. citronella oil

2. cinnamon oil

3. pennyroyal oil

4. clove oil

5. lavender oil

6. citrus

7. basil

8. any natural essential oil can be use the above are just a few. Try your own.

Citrus Spray Use OTKO a Natural Citrus Cleaner. Spray straight through a mister. Will kill earwigs and most of insects on contact. Soap Spray Use any natural castile soap like Dr Bronners soaps. They make peppermint, lavender, almond, tea tree and lot of other natural sources. Use 1oz per gallon water. Will kill earwigs when sprayed.
DE SPRAY Gadren Grade DE can be added to water and sprayed. Best way is to put some DE into a panty hose and suspend in gallon water. Allow to sit, pour into a gallon sprayer and spray. when dried the de will act as a barrier and kill and earwigs that crawl over it. You can use just dust the areas with it.

Check List
Vacuum, vacuum ad vacuum …
Vacuum up any earwigs inside your house. Vacuum very thoroughly and as often as needed. Throw away the bags in the trash.

Natural Dust
Garden Grade DE can be used as a dust around the house as well as under the house and the attic. Dust lighly and allow to sit.
Boric Acid can be used as a dust in cracks and other areas between the house walls.

Reducing Populations:
Traps inside the house is one ongoing way of you managing earwigs in the home on a regular long term bases.

Various Traps

Outside the house
Remove materials outside the perimeter of the building that could provide as a hiding place, such as ivy, plant debris, leaves in gutters, old wood piles, old leaf litter, piles of newspapers, or other organic material. Caulk and repair cracks, crevices, and other openings around the foundation or around the outside of the house. Manage moisture around the building by repairing or replacing leaky faucets, leaky air conditioners, leaky drains, control water going into the foundation after it rains, and provide crawl spaces to allow for entrance. Repair or change the conditions to promote a drier environment. Caulk and weatherstrip around doors. windows. bathrooms water outlets as well electrical outlets.



Traps outside the house
Newspaper: A rolled-up wet newspaper held together with a rubber band.
Old Garden Hose: 12-24 inch pieces of garden hose
Used cat food can. Add 1/2 inch any type beer or wine.
Tupperware: Use a tupperware like plastic container. Punch holes along the top edge of the tub, add 2 inches any cheap wine and cover with top and sink into ground.
Finch Bird House can be used as a housing unit where you can place a 8 oz plastic cup 1/2 filled with beer or wine. I would try one of each and see which attracts the most.

Trapping is an effective, easy approach to reducing earwig populations.

Eliminate Their Habitat:

Some folks advise against the use of organic mulch because they say it provides harborage to pests such as earwigs and spiders. I have the opposing view that organic mulch offers earwigs a diverse hunting area that will save your plants as well as provide for the earth's needs. Mulch can easily be kept clean of earwigs by dusting with garden grade several times per year or by dust just before and after every time you apply a new layer of mulch. Spraying the mulch with any natural soap will also control them too.

Andy Lopez
The Invisible Gardener