How To Kill Earwigs?

Earwigs can overrun your home, eat your plants, and are unsightly. Find out how to make earwigs scurry away. Although earwig bugs have a horrible appearance, in small quantities they are beneficial to your garden. They are pests in your house and on your plants when they are many. Find out when you should actually be concerned about earwig removal.

As natural composters who consume dead or decaying matter, earwigs can assist in the control of pests like aphids, maggots, and armyworms as long as insect numbers are in check. If you're wondering how to get rid of earwigs, keep in mind that most of the time they don't do much harm.

However, you might wish to take action when their population explodes, which can happen during wet, mild weather spells.

What Are Earwigs

Insects called earwigs live in our gardens and in damp, cold areas of our homes. Their six legs, two antennae, and pincers (also known as cerci, or appendages) are what give them the moniker "pincher bugs." Their elongated, three-part bodies, which range in color from brown to black, are 1/4 to 1 inch long.

There are 2,000 species on the planet, and all save the polar regions are home to them. The non-native European earwig is the pincher bug that occurs most frequently in North America (Forficula auricularia).

Earwigs rarely fly. They are nocturnal insects that hide during the day and come out at night to feed. In addition to gardens, they also frequent bathrooms, crawl spaces, basements, and other damp, cool areas. In addition to fruits, leaves, slugs, snails, and other insects, these omnivores also eat damp, rotting wood. They also consume both living and dead or decomposing food and flower plants.

They are an annoyance when they get inside your house through cracks, holes, or gaps. However, they don't often do much damage, and their appearance can actually alert you to moisture problems you hadn't seen.

They are an annoyance when they get inside your house through cracks, holes, or gaps. However, they don't often do much damage, and their appearance can actually alert you to moisture problems you hadn't seen.

Earwigs don't bite or carry diseases, and their pinches don't cause much discomfort. Don't worry too much about how to get rid of earwigs because, in general, they don't have a significant negative impact on the ecology or cause significant economic harm.

And what about the fable that claims earwigs can enter your ear? Extremely unlikely.

How To Find Earwigs In Your Home

Finding earwigs in your home is the first step in getting rid of them. If you want to find pincher bugs at night when they are active, use a flashlight.

Inspect any rooms with cool air where water may leak or collect, such as kitchens, laundries, bathrooms, basements, and the area around outside faucets and air conditioners. Check behind outdoor cushions and flowerpots during the day as they are frequently attracted to porch and patio lights at night.

Furthermore, earwig bugs have a smell. When disturbed or smashed, they release a yellowish-brown liquid with a potent, unpleasant smell.

How To Find Earwigs In Your Garden

Take a flashlight outside at night and search for pincher bugs among decaying plants, leaves, and pots. Some of their favorite plants include marigolds, potatoes, lettuce, celery, beans, squash, and dahlias.

They cause ragged-looking damage to the plants by creating jagged holes in the leaf that are frequently mistaken for slug or snail damage. Additionally, they frequently deposit microscopic, black pellets of feces.

How To Get Rid Of Earwigs With A Trap

Consider using one of these earwig trap solutions to kill earwigs without disrupting the ecology of your garden:

• After dark, scatter several slightly moistened newspaper sheets over your yard in rolled or crumpled form. No need to open the papers; simply place them all in an empty bucket the next day. Pour hot, soapy water into the bucket to drown the pincher insects.
• Half-fill a can or other container with soapy water. Place it on the ground with the rim level, close to the earwigs. Put a few drops of oil in the water or rub some inside the can's rim. The earwigs will enter and drown.
• By placing 12-inch lengths of bamboo or garden hose between your plants, you can capture earwig pests. Every morning, remove the earwigs that have become wedged between the panels and submerge them in soapy water.
• Place a small container containing a mixture of soy sauce and olive oil where earwigs may smell it. The pincher bugs will enter and drown since they can't get out of the oil.

How To Get Rid Of Earwigs In Other Ways (To Kill Them)

• When it's dry outside, remove any mulch from surrounding plants that are infested with earwigs and scatter diatomaceous earth all around them. This finely ground dust kills earwigs by dehydrating them and causing scratches to their fragile body parts. Because it can be dangerous if breathed, use it according to all label instructions.
• Spray locations where earwigs congregate with a solution made of water and dishwashing detergent.
• Spraying earwigs with a solution of water and rubbing alcohol (70%) in equal parts can kill them instantly. Note: Before treating an entire plant, spray just one leaf and wait 24 hours to make sure it won't harm the plant.

• In regions where you've noticed earwigs, use boric acid, which is available at hardware stores. It can be hazardous, so keep it away from young children, pets, and other animals.
• Use a herbicide with an earwig control label. Follow all label instructions carefully to ensure your safety, which may include utilizing certain goods exclusively outside your house.
• Invite natural earwig predators like birds and toads to your yard.
• Pinch bugs and any visible eggs should be vacuumed out.

Keep Them From Coming Back

• Patch up the window screens.
• Around your doors, foundation, and vents, fill in any cracks and gaps.
• Patch-up leaks.
• Rock, leaf, and wood piles should be removed.
• Mulch and plants should be kept six to twelve inches away from your home.
• To get rid of the yard's excessive shade and dampness, trim the trees and bushes.
• To keep extra moisture out of your basement, use a dehumidifier.
• Maintain clear gutters and drains.
• Do you require further assistance? Make a pest control call.

Conclusion

We hope you found our post helpful. We shared with you how to recognize earwigs, how to find and how to get rid of them, but be sure to follow all the steps and stop them from coming back.

Please share your comments and experiences with us.