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Although earwigs play important roles as predators to aphids, mites, and insect eggs, they can still cause great harm on growing shoots of plants, seedlings, soft fruits, and corn. They bore holes on leaves, chew around their edges, damage their flowers, and attack their fruits. Pesticide-free preventive and responsive measures on how to get rid of earwigs will be listed in the subsequent paragraphs.
Preventive measures on how to get rid of earwigs include reducing their natural habitats and hiding places. Since earwigs normally thrive in cool, dark, and moist places, trimming down the surface moisture level of your garden can cause a stir in them. Overwintering earwigs and egg nests below the soil surface can also be disturbed by cultivating the soil within the area. Biological methods on how to get rid of earwigs include the use of natural enemies such as toads, birds, and other predatory insects on exposed eggs and adults.
Constant sweeping and vacuuming will also stop earwigs from seeking the comfort of indoor spaces. Seal out cracks that serve as their entry points will also be beneficial to homes and buildings. Accumulating leaves, garden chaff, wood, weeds, and ivy creeping on walls can provide habitat to them. Another method on how to get rid of earwigs is to keep the lawn and the garden free of these organic matter and debris. Mulches harboring earwigs should also be controlled or removed.
The use of sticky substances can also be a good method on how to get rid of earwigs. Tanglefoot, a sticky substance, can be treated to trunks of fruit trees to keep earwigs from climbing and getting into the ripening fruits. Taking time to properly prune the trees and picking fruits as soon as they ripen will stop earwigs from feasting on the produces and putting them to waste.
Non chemical ways on how to get rid of earwigs include the initiation of a regular trapping program and baiting. Placing pieces of ribbed wood or corrugated cardboard secured by a rubber band around trees and in areas where earwigs commonly thrive can also be very effective measures on how to get rid of earwigs. Stuffing plant pots with newspaper, straw, or hay then inverting them into poles planted in the ground is also another way to corner them. Other innovative trapping techniques include the use of old tires and hollow tubes that can be emptied every morning.
Home made solutions on how to get rid of earwigs such as the use of oil and a mixture of liquid soap and water can also be done. Placing unrinsed juice containers or shallow pans partially filled with fish oil or vegetable oil near the habitat of earwigs will attract and trap these pests for good. Another procedure is to place tin cans filled with water and liquid soap near garden walls.
With all these non chemical methods on how to get rid of earwigs, there will be no need to resort to insecticide treatments that may be more harmful than helpful in getting rid of these pests.
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about pest and disease and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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