Earwigs
Night-feeding insects with tail pincers that chew ragged holes in seedlings, flowers and soft fruit.
What you'll see
- Ragged holes in leaves and petals, especially on dahlias, clematis, seedlings and soft fruit.
- Brown, shiny insects with pincers at the tail, hiding in flowers, mulch or debris by day.
- Damage appears overnight; a flashlight check after dark shows the culprits at work.
Why it happens
Earwigs feed at night on soft plant parts and small insects, and hide by day in cool, damp, dark places. Numbers build up in mild, moist gardens.
How to fix it
- Trap them: set rolled-up damp newspaper, bamboo tubes or short pieces of hose near plants at dusk.
- Each morning, shake the trapped earwigs into a bucket of soapy water.
- Keep trapping daily until the damage stops.
Keep it from coming back
- Clear boards, weeds and loose debris where earwigs hide near beds.
- Water in the morning so the garden is drier at night.
- Leave earwigs on fruit trees, where they eat aphids.
Sources
General guidance, not a diagnosis. For valuable, edible or outdoor crops, check with a local extension service or plant expert. Use any product exactly as its label says, and keep children and pets away while it dries.