How to Keep Earwigs Out of Your Garden

Earwigs can be a double-edged sword because, on one hand, they can help to rid your garden of other pests like aphids and mites. However, those same earwigs can turn on your plants and eat them! That potential damage to your precious plants is reason enough for you to explore ways to keep earwigs out of your garden. At AAI Pest Control, we pride ourselves in giving people the knowledge that they need to deal with as many different pests as possible before calling in the pros. In that same spirit of empowering you, here are some measures that you can take to keep earwigs out of your garden.

Use Homemade Earwig Traps

One of the effective homemade earwig traps that you can use to get rid of these pests requires some interesting ingredients. First, get several cans of cat food and fill them about a quarter way full can with some oil, (i.e. fish oil). You can then sink these cans close to your plants and wait to dispose of that oil and the earwigs trapped therein the next day. Repeat the process on a daily basis until the earwigs on your property are gone.

Alternatively, you can use oatmeal as bait placed inside a crumpled newspaper, pieces of hose pipes, or cardboard filled with straw at one end. Place these baited traps close to your plants and empty the contents the next day. Repeat until the earwig population in your garden has been eliminated.

Don’t hesitate to contact AAI Pest Control, a pest control company in Modesto, for more suggestions if you would like a soluton right away.

Use Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

The homemade traps discussed earlier may not give quick results if the earwig population in your garden is sizeable. In that case, AAI Pest Control has another alternative for you. Simply get some diatomaceous earth and sprinkle it around the plants or plant beds so that you form a protective perimeter. This circle should be approximately two inches wide. The pests that try to crawl over this barrier will be injured and die. Remember to reapply the DE each time it rains.

Get Rid of Mulch and Debris

Another way to keep the earwig population low is to deny them the hiding places that they need during the day. Most often than not, earwigs will hide underneath moist mulch or any debris that is present in your garden or close to the foundation of your home. Remove this mulch and debris so that the earwigs don’t have anywhere to hide.

Additionally, Modesto pest control companies advise that you apply some dry gravel to act as mulch around your home. This will form a perimeter that earwigs will find difficult to move over as they try to get at your plants.

Enroll Predatory Help

You can also bring the forces of nature on your side during the fight against the earwigs in your garden. This help is the tachinid fly. The tachinid fly feeds on earwigs, so inviting it to your garden is a sure way to stamp out the earwig population harassing your plants. How do you get these helpful flies in your garden? Simple, just plant fennel, dill and any other plants that the tachinid flies find attractive.

When used consistently, the methods above will help you manage your earwig problem in your garden. Better results can be realized by combining different measures instead of relying on just one technique. However, if you don’t have the time to implement these methods, contact AAI Pest Control and we will send out a team to fix the bug problem in no time. Don’t worry about the products we use. We ensure that we select products that will cause minimal if any, damage to your plants or the environment.