6 Natural Earwig Control Methods That Old Gardeners Swear By

You head out to the garden first thing in the morning, coffee in hand, only to find your bean seedlings looking like they’ve been through a paper shredder. The leaves are riddled with ragged, irregular holes, but there’s no slime trail from a slug and no caterpillar in sight. This is the classic, frustrating calling card of the common earwig. For hobby farmers, these nocturnal pests can feel like an invisible enemy, undoing your hard work while you sleep. But dealing with them doesn’t mean reaching for harsh chemicals; it means learning to think like an earwig and using their own habits against them.

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Identifying Earwig Damage in Your Garden Beds

Before you can solve the problem, you have to be sure you’re targeting the right culprit. Earwig damage is distinct. They are chewers, creating messy, irregular holes in leaves and petals, often starting from the edge. Unlike the clean, round holes from other insects, earwig work looks ragged.

They have a particular taste for tender, new growth. Seedlings, especially beans, corn, and leafy greens, are prime targets. They also love soft flower petals, which is why your zinnias, marigolds, and dahlias might look tattered overnight. You’ll also find them burrowing into soft fruits like strawberries and apricots, creating tunnels that invite rot.

The real confirmation comes after dark. Earwigs are nocturnal, hiding during the day and feasting at night. If you suspect they’re the problem, head out to the garden an hour or two after sunset with a flashlight. You’ll likely catch them red-handed, swarming the plants you saw damaged earlier. Seeing them in the act is the only way to be 100% certain.

Using Oil & Soy Sauce Traps for Earwig Control

This is one of the most effective and time-honored methods for a reason: it works. Earwigs are scavengers, guided by their sense of smell. The fermented, savory scent of soy sauce is irresistible to them, while the oil creates a simple but inescapable trap.

To make one, grab a small, shallow container like a tuna can, cat food can, or a plastic yogurt cup. Bury it in the soil so the rim is flush with the ground, placing it near the plants showing the most damage. Fill it about halfway with a simple mixture of cheap vegetable oil and a splash of soy sauce. That’s it.

The earwigs, drawn by the scent, will crawl in for a meal and won’t be able to crawl back out of the slippery oil. The main downside is cleanup; you’ll need to empty the traps every few days, which can be a bit grim. These traps can also occasionally catch beneficial ground beetles, so place them strategically only where earwig pressure is high, not as a preventative measure across the whole garden.

Creating Newspaper & Cardboard Roll-Up Shelters

This method is pure genius because it uses the earwig’s own instincts against it. During the day, earwigs seek out dark, tight, slightly damp places to hide from predators and the sun. A simple roll of newspaper or a piece of corrugated cardboard provides the perfect five-star hotel for them.

Simply take a section of newspaper, roll it up, and get it slightly damp. You can also use a small piece of cardboard, as the corrugated channels are ideal hiding spots. Place these "shelters" at the base of affected plants or along the edges of your garden beds in the evening.

When you come out in the morning, carefully pick up the rolls. They will be full of earwigs that have settled in for the day. You can then shake them into a bucket of soapy water to dispatch them quickly. This technique is incredibly low-cost, targeted, and avoids any risk of harming other wildlife. The only catch is that it requires a daily routine of setting and clearing the traps to be effective.

Applying Diatomaceous Earth as a Dry Barrier

Diatomaceous Earth, or DE, is a fantastic tool when used correctly. It’s not a poison but a physical control. DE is the fossilized remains of tiny aquatic organisms, and under a microscope, the particles are like shards of glass. To a soft-bodied insect like an earwig, crawling across it is fatal as it scratches their exoskeleton and causes them to dehydrate.

For it to work, you need to create a continuous, dry barrier. Use a powder duster to create a ring of DE around the base of vulnerable plants or along the entire perimeter of a raised bed. You must use food-grade DE, as the kind used for swimming pools is chemically treated and not safe for garden use.

The major tradeoff with DE is water. The moment it gets wet, it’s completely useless. This means you have to reapply it after every rain, irrigation, or even a heavy morning dew. In a damp climate, this can become a constant chore. It’s also an indiscriminate killer, so it can harm beneficial insects that walk across it. For this reason, it’s best used surgically to protect specific high-value seedlings, not broadcasted widely.

Disrupting Habitats by Clearing Garden Debris

This is less of a direct "method" and more of a foundational strategy for long-term control. Earwigs thrive where they can find moisture and cover. If your garden offers them plenty of places to hide during the day right next to their favorite food source, you’re rolling out the welcome mat.

Look around your garden beds for earwig havens. These include:

• Piles of old leaves or weeds
• Stacks of unused pots or lumber
• Thick layers of mulch piled directly against plant stems
• Loose bricks or stones bordering the garden

By maintaining a tidy garden, you eliminate their daytime shelters. Rake up excess debris. Store pots and supplies away from your beds. Most importantly, pull mulch an inch or two away from the stems of your plants to create a dry, exposed barrier they are hesitant to cross. This simple practice of "good housekeeping" makes your garden a far less hospitable place for them to set up shop.

This approach won’t solve a major infestation overnight. Instead, it shifts the environmental conditions in your favor over the long run. Combining this habitat disruption with more active methods like trapping is the key to reducing their numbers season after season.

Attracting Natural Predators Like Toads & Birds

The most sustainable and hands-off way to control earwigs is to let someone else do the work for you. In a healthy garden ecosystem, earwigs are a valuable food source for a wide range of predators. Your goal should be to make those predators feel at home.

Toads are voracious, nocturnal hunters and earwigs are high on their menu. You can encourage toads by providing a "toad house"—a simple, shady, damp shelter. An old terracotta pot, broken and placed upside down in a cool spot, is perfect. A shallow dish of water nearby will also make the area more attractive.

Birds are also excellent pest controllers. Tachycineta swallows, wrens, and bluebirds all consume vast quantities of insects. To attract them, provide the key elements of habitat: a clean water source like a birdbath, native plants and shrubs for cover and nesting sites, and a promise not to use broad-spectrum chemical pesticides that would harm them or their food source. Building a predator population takes time, but it creates a resilient, self-regulating garden.

Homemade Soap & Water Sprays as a Deterrent

When you’re facing a visible swarm of earwigs on a prized plant, sometimes you need an immediate, direct response. A simple soap and water spray can be just the ticket. This isn’t a preventative barrier; it’s a contact insecticide that works on the spot.

The recipe is incredibly simple: mix a few drops of a basic liquid soap (like Dr. Bronner’s or a simple dish soap without degreasers, bleach, or other additives) into a standard spray bottle filled with water. The soap helps break down the waxy outer layer of the earwig’s exoskeleton, leading to dehydration.

To use it effectively, you must go out at night with your flashlight and spray the solution directly onto the earwigs you see on the plants. It has no residual effect, so it won’t harm an earwig that crawls by an hour later. Because it can also harm beneficial insects if they are sprayed directly, and some plants can be sensitive to soap on their leaves, this method is best reserved for targeted, emergency use on heavy infestations. Think of it as a tactical tool, not a general strategy.

Long-Term Prevention and Garden Management Tips

Ultimately, managing earwigs isn’t about a single magic bullet. It’s about creating a garden environment that is less friendly to them and more resilient overall. The goal is not eradication—earwigs have a role in the ecosystem, sometimes eating aphids and insect eggs—but balance.

Your long-term strategy should be built on a foundation of good garden hygiene. Clear debris, manage your mulch, and water in the morning so the soil surface has a chance to dry out before nightfall. These simple habits deny earwigs the damp, dark conditions they need to thrive and multiply.

Then, layer on other techniques as needed. If you see a population starting to build, set out some oil traps or cardboard shelters to knock down their numbers. If you have a row of precious seedlings, protect them with a temporary ring of Diatomaceous Earth. All the while, work on the bigger picture of attracting predators to create a natural system of checks and balances. By combining these methods, you move from constantly reacting to problems to proactively managing a healthy, balanced garden.

Controlling earwigs is a perfect lesson in garden management. It teaches you to observe closely, understand the pest you’re dealing with, and use a combination of simple, thoughtful techniques rather than reaching for a single, powerful solution. By focusing on creating an environment that favors your plants and their natural allies, you’ll spend less time fighting pests and more time enjoying the fruits of your labor.