How To Get Rid of Earwigs

Jack_Luca | Mar 4, 2010 |

4 Comments | Rating: 4

Earwigs are creepy, crawly insects that have long thin bodies with a pincher on the end. Earwigs can be found both inside a home and outside. Earwigs are both beneficial and damaging at the same time. They eat other insects that case damage on plants such as aphids, but the earwigs damage the plants while they are eating their prey. Earwigs also help to eat rotting organic matter such as dead leaves. Earwigs can be found in damp, dark areas in a house such as under baseboards and in basements. Earwigs do not cause any actual damage in a house, but who wants to live with them? eke! There are a few methods you can use to control and exterminate earwigs.

Sprinkle diatomaceous earth in areas where you see earwigs.

Use it around plants, under baseboards, around the perimeter of your basement and along window sills.

Make an Earwig Trap

Sprinkle water on a newspaper. Roll the newspaper up and tie each end with string or use rubber bands to keep the newspaper in rolled up shape. Do not roll it too tightly because there needs to be room for the earwigs to crawl in. Leave the rolled up, damp newspaper where you have seen earwigs, indoors or outdoors. Allow it to sit overnight. In the morning, carefully pick up the entire newspaper with the trapped earwigs and place it into a plastic bag. Tightly tie the top of the plastic bag and throw it in an outdoor garbage.

Slightly dampened a piece of corrugated cardboard to lure Earwigs.

Leave the dampened cardboard in areas where you have seen earwig activity. The earwigs with hide between the layers of cardboard. In the morning pick up the cardboard, place it in a plastic garbage bag, tightly tie the top closed and discard in an outdoor garbage.

Trap Earwigs with Oil

Fill an old lidded jar with approximately 1/2 with canola oil. Leave the jar overnight in an area where you have seen earwigs. In the morning, place the lid on the jar and discard. If you are not too creeped out, you can strain the earwigs out of the oil and reuse the oil and jar. The earwigs are attracted to canola oil and will fall into it and die.

Sprinkle Epsom Salts To Kill Earwigs

Use Epsom salts around the perimeter of the basement, under baseboards and along window sills. Epsom salts can damage plants, use in the garden is not suggested.

Make a Sphagnum Moss Trap

Place sphagnum moss in an old, tin pie plate or a shallow box, lightly mist the moss with water. Leave out overnight to allow the earwigs to crawl in. It the morning, empty the moss and earwigs into a plastic bag, tie tightly and discard.