If you’re looking to fight pests in your vegetable garden, this article will show you how to get rid of these pests.
Earwigs can wreak havoc if not controlled.
They are a common pest problem that can destroy your crops and eat away at the plants and vegetables in your garden.
In vegetable gardens, earwigs can cause damage by eating your vegetable seedlings.
As they grow, the earwigs are more visible in your garden, and they can cause a major infestation within your garden.
Your vegetable garden allows earwigs to damage your garden because they can lay eggs anywhere within the garden.
The earwig will lay eggs in the soil and on the plants.
The eggs hatch on the plants, and the larvae eat away at the roots, which causes the vegetable wilting and can cause the death of the plant.
The earwig problem can be eliminated by spraying your garden with insecticidal soaps or by using organic pest controls.
What Causes Earwigs in the Garden?
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Earwigs like moist, sheltered environments, such as potted plant soil or mulched garden beds.
They will come to your garden if you provide the right conditions and food.
Earwigs will be enticed into your vegetable garden due to its sheltered, moist environment, but the action you take after the invasion will determine whether they are beneficial or harmful.
You can get rid of the earwigs by spraying them with a vaporizer or, if necessary, a commercially available earwig killer.
They are only handled as pests if they cause excessive damage.
If earwigs attack your plants, take action immediately.
Plant waste on the garden floor is a likely food source for earwigs.
They eat a variety of garden plants, but herbs are a favorite for earwigs.
There are many different kinds of earwigs and species.
Some earwigs, such as the gardener’s earwig, are beneficial, while others, such as the potato earwig, are pests.
Fruits such as peaches, apricots, and berries are highly favored by earwigs and may be adversely affected by their presence.
If none of their preferred plants are available, then they will still attempt to feed on other plants in the garden.
Also Read: How to Use Essential Oils to Get Rid of Earwigs
How to Get Rid of Earwigs in the Vegetable Garden
Earwigs may eat your garden. Therefore, gardeners need to stop them before they do any damage to plants.
You should first look around the perimeter of your plants. These insects tend to hide in cracks or holes.
So, you should check your garden thoroughly.
Here are some effective methods that work the best.
Use Boric Acid
You may use boric acid sprinkled in the soil to kill the earwigs.
You may substitute white vinegar for boric acid as earwigs tend to have a low tolerance to vinegar.
Spray it anywhere you suspect earwigs, but remember that earwigs can enter any opening to become pests.
However, you must exercise caution while using this approach due to the threat it poses to your dogs’ health.
So, spray it only in areas where you or your dogs can’t get to it.
As a result, only spray the floors, walls, and areas near the boundary of the garden.
Use Diatomaceous Earth
To help get rid of these pesky critters before it is too late in the season, apply DE to plants surrounding your vegetables and fruit.
DE is made of tiny particles that can be absorbed through the skin.
The tiny particles cause the insects’ skin to dry out and fall off.
Therefore, after applying it to the surface of your vegetable patch, they are unlikely to return to your plants.
Use Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is a very efficient way of getting rid of these insects.
As a result, a rubbing alcohol treatment may last for up to a week before new earwigs appear.
In a spray bottle, mix rubbing alcohol in half water. If you have vines or plants in your vegetable or flower gardens, apply the mixture by spraying directly on them every week.
Some gardeners use rubbing alcohol to clear leaves of bugs, such as earwigs.
Spray the mixture on the plants, leaves, and fruits.
To prevent splashing your animals, use a towel or old sheet as a barrier between the pet and the rubbing alcohol.
The pests may then be removed by wiping the plants down with a moist towel.
This method could be repeated every two weeks unless you see your earwigs reappear.
Create Sticky Barriers
Apply a sticky barrier at the base of your vegetable plants, as well, to help them from attracting earwigs.
Earwigs are crawlers, so they’ll become trapped in either a sticky barrier or the rubbing alcohol.
Create a Light Trap
An earwig can’t resist the light, and in most cases, it will perish.
You may take advantage of these methods if you’re concerned about protecting the health of your plants.
In a small dish, combine the water and soap and place a lamp next to it. Turn on the lamp until you hear all the earwigs fall in the soap mixture.
Place a lamp next to your light trap, turn it on, and wait for the trapped earwigs to lose their safety membrane and fall in the lamp.
The earwigs will be unable to resist approaching the lights, and many of them will perish in the spicy liquid.
It’s a simple method, but one that works like a charm.
This may be done for a week or a month, depending on how many earwigs there are in your area.
Dry Out the Garden
The first and frequently only method is to remove the ground cover around the garden.
Removing it lets the tubers dry out, so it can thrive without the danger of being eaten.
You just need to do this one method, and your Garden will be earwig-free.
The mulch may then be replaced and the area allowed to dry out again.
Slugs, snails, and other pests flourish in damp detritus on the garden floor. Thus removing the mulch may help reduce their populations.
