I had a bad infestation of earwigs two years running and Basil was their favorite plant. I couldn't figure out what was doing the damage until I went out at night with a flashlight. Very evident, with them chewing and crawling all over many plants. Echinacea was their other favorite.

I grow organically and don't spray. I used a cup of soapy water, a headlamp [g], and a gloved hand, to knock them into the cup. Greatly reduced the population, but I did stick with it night after night until I stopped getting damage and could barely find an earwig. I seem to remember I had to figure out the best time to see them too.

I have a terrible earwig problem. They have taken out three ornamental basil plants and heavily damaged the others. Nothing I have tried works as I too am organic. I just wait them out. After the population explosion, damage decreases.

I've heard of things like rolling up wet newspaper and setting them in your garden. Earwigs will crawl inside for shelter. Pick them up (in the morning?) and toss...or better yet, throw them in a burn pile and toss a match.

I've never tried it as I don't grow things that earwigs come for in my area (like corn, artichokes), but it seems logical.

They are nasty. I wish there was some kind of spray/treatment or something. Rolling wet newspaper, oil dish are not options for me. I have learned how to deal with slugs but not earwigs, YET.

Earwigs are by far the biggest problem I have in my garden. They can be really hard on plants especially when they are young. I found that you can reduce their numbers but you never truly get rid of them. The best thing that worked for me was to place a damp towel on a hard surface like a tree limb or section of shaded concrete. After a couple of days turn the towel over and let the chickens ave a feast. This method has gotten the earwig population down to a point to where they don't do too much damage in the garden. I have to admit that a few years ago when their numbers were really high I had to sprinkle Sevin dust on my newly planted pawpaw seedling other wise they would have killed it.

skeip, in CA we had tons of earwigs and snails. I didn't care about poison and often used the snail bait. Sluggo, I guess. If I hadn't used seven or sluggo, I would have used the newspaper routine and burned the buggers. Newspaper doesn't have any pheromones and couldn't possibly be like Japanese beetle traps.

OK! So last night mixed up a little Dawn and water in a spray bottle and went out after the varmints!! I doused them pretty good and probably saw a several dozen on my Basil seedlings. Dieing, squirming, rushing away, pretty gratifying all in all. We'lll see what happens again tonight!

Steve

sluggo+

^+1 on the Sluggo Plus, or some knock off of it. Used properly and in moderation, it is very effective and safe.

All sluggo is is iron phosphate, the plus has spinosad in it, which is what will take care of the earwigs.

It is a pelleted bait, so it is very unlikely to effect any of your good guys like bees and wasps.

Slugo ? does slug bait kill earwigs ? I am not sure about that.

Sluggo PLUS does seysonn.... It is sluggo with spinosad added to it.