Earwigs
categories: Natural Enemies Other Natural Enemies
last review date: 2025-08-23 05:28
Photo by, unknown
Biology
So named because of their alleged occurrence in people’s ears! This may have occurred 500 years ago when people slept on the damp ground, where earwigs live. The ear of a twenty-first century human is unlikely to be the dark, damp place an earwig comes across today!
The introduced European earwig (Forficula auricularia) is found in most gardens and is an omnivore feeding on small insects (especially aphids and small caterpillars) as well as flower petals and leaves.
About ½ inch in length, it is nocturnal and at moderate population levels probably does far more good than bad in most gardens.
Prey or Pest Targeted
- Aphids, mites, thrips, leafhoppers, centipedes, millipedes, caterpillars, insect eggs, whiteflies
Attracting and Keeping Natural Enemies
and Pollinators in Your Yard and Garden
- Native plants provide essential resources.
- Native flora also provides natural overwintering sites.
- Natural dispersion from nearby habitats ensures visitation.
- Some kinds of beneficial insects predatory mites are commercially available.
- Avoid regular use of synthetic, broad-spectrum pesticides.
- Infrequent use of certain narrow-spectrum pesticides is more compatible with some beneficials.
- Extensive lawns are also not conducive to attracting beneficial insects.
Management Options
See "Using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in the Landscape" for successful problem management techniques.
Chemical Management
IMPORTANT: Visit Home and Garden Fact Sheets for more information on using pesticides.
- None recommended
Additional Image
Photo by: M. Bush
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