KSL Greenhouse Show: Earwig control
Jul 27, 2025, 11:24 AM
A small earwig trap using a plastic cup, vegetable oil and soy sauce without a lid. (Kennedy Camarena, KSL NewsRadio)
(Kennedy Camarena, KSL NewsRadio)
SALT LAKE CITY — “Nature’s garden disposal…” that’s what earwigs are. But they can also become a big unwanted problem when they make it into gardens. During its most recent show, the KSL Greenhouse Show talked about how to spot signs of earwigs and how to treat them.
Signs of earwigs
KSL Greenhouse Show host Taun Beddes said people may see typical bug damage done to their plants when earwigs are present.
“Earwigs eat about anything, they’re almost like nature’s garbage disposal,” Beddes said.
According to Beddes, adult earwigs are predators of other insects and will often feed on plants and even decomposing organic matter.
A tell-tale sign of earwigs being present in a garden is by actually seeing them yourself in the early hours of the day, before the bugs have had the chance to hide.
Beddes added that the number of earwigs will be high when a person witnesses the bugs eating.
Getting rid of earwigs
If a gardener is trying to avoid using pesticides in the garden, Beddes suggested using traps to catch the earwigs.
Steps for making an earwig trap:
- Get an old cool whip or butter container (or any sort of container with a lid)
- Poke several holes in the lid of the container
- Fill the container with about an inch of oil
- Put something with a strong fishy smell into the oil
- Put the lid on the container
Beddes said people could use a strong hole puncher to create the holes in the lid.
“Just put holes about as wide as a hole punch in the top of the lid, and bury (the traps) so they’re at about ground level,” Beddes said. “And then, three or four times a week go out and check them.”
Beddes added that people will likely have to empty the traps out and refill them every few days.
“You can get sections of newspaper, and if you will put something in there that’s kind of stinky, like tuna or something, it attracts more of them in and you can trap them in sections of newspaper and then you just throw that into a plastic garbage sack or into a bucket of soapy water so that you can drown them.”
A small earwig trap using a plastic cup, vegetable oil and soy sauce without a lid. (Kennedy Camarena, KSL NewsRadio)
Earwigs in your tree
According to Beddes, a person can wrap the trunk of a tree infested with earwigs with duct tape. He said to put the sticky side facing out and wrap the trunk about two to three inches wide.
“(This will) keep them from climbing up to get your peaches,” Beddes said. “You may have to change that tape out, you know, several times a week.”
Spraying for earwigs
“If the numbers are so high that the traps are overwhelmed, then you’re probably going to have to spray,” Beddes said.
Beddes said Garden Tech Sevin or Hi-Yield Garden & Farm spray would work to get rid of earwigs.
If a gardener wants to go more organic with their choice of spray, Beddes recommends trying Captain Jacks Deadbug Brew or Fertilome Spinosad spray.
“If your crops are being ruined, then you can use something like Garden Tech Seevin, and you’ll have anywhere from a three to seven day wait before you can eat the produce,” Beddes said.
An earwig trap using a plastic water bottle cut in half with vegetable oil and soy sauce. The bottle is buried in the soil on its side so the oil and soy sauce don’t spill. (Kennedy Camarena, KSL NewsRadio)
Read more from the KSL Greenhouse show:
- Gardeners, here’s how you can prepare for grasshopper season
- KSL Greenhouse Show: Controlling pocket gophers
- How to prevent billbug damage in your grass
KSL Greenhouse is live on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
