Field Identification
An elongate insect with forceps-like cerci at the tail. The European earwig is the usual garden species in much of the Americas—omnivorous, mostly nocturnal, and guilty of chewing soft leaves, petals, and ripe fruit while also eating aphids and insect eggs. Damage peaks in cool, moist weather and under thick mulch or tight canopies from temperate zones through mild coastal and highland tropics (roughly zones 5–11 for heavy pressure, with scattered populations beyond). It aggregates under boards, pots, and straw, which makes scouting predictable.
Adults are 1/2–3/4 inch (12–18 mm), reddish brown with short wing covers and prominent pincers; males have curved cerci, females straighter. Nymphs resemble pale mini-adults and cluster with adults in daytime refugia. Ragged holes with shredded edges on marigolds, lettuce, strawberries, and corn silks are typical signatures—not clean semicircles like cutworms.
How to Deal With It
Organic Control Methods
Insecticidal soap or spinosad directed into crown zones and under foliage can reduce nymphs on vegetables and soft fruit; treat after dark when earwigs are active for better contact. Diatomaceous earth bands around raised beds or trunks abrade waxy cuticle when kept dry—reapply after irrigation.
Birds, toads, ground beetles, and centipedes consume earwigs; tachinid flies parasitize adults in some regions. Diverse groundcover that supports these predators beats bare, soggy mulch that favors earwig breeding.
Reduce excessive organic mulch against stems; pull weeds that create humid skirts. Tie up strawberry clusters or use clean straw lifts to keep fruit off damp refugia. Avoid over-head watering late in the day on susceptible flowers.
Trap with rolled newspaper, corrugated cardboard, or short PVC sections baited with a dab of soy sauce or oil—shake occupants into soapy water each morning. Place boards along bed edges and flip before noon. On small trees, wrap trunks with sticky barriers where labels allow, excluding earwigs climbing to fruit.
Scout refugia weekly during wet spells; count earwigs per trap to decide if damage likely. Clean up debris piles near greenhouse doors. Rotate trap lines so populations do not learn one permanent hiding spot.
Let Nature Handle It
Natural Enemies
- Tachinid Flies (Tachinidae)
- Ground Beetles (Carabidae)
- Toads and Frogs (Anura)
- Centipedes (Chilopoda)