Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Kill earwigs
• Method 2 of 2: Keep earwigs out of your home and garden
• Tips

Earwigs or skin wings can be annoying, but it is possible to get rid of them. These insects are relatively harmless, but eat plant leaves and rotting wood and cause damage. Earwigs thrive in humid conditions in the garden and musty corners in the house. Deal directly with these insects with natural or chemical means to kill them and prevent them from returning by protecting your home and garden.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Kill earwigs

1. If you don't want to use pesticides, spray with a mixture of water and dish soap. Fill an atomizer with warm water. Add a few drops of dish soap and gently shake the mixture until it foams. Spray the leaves of your plant to kill the earwigs, as well as damp corners in your home or garden where you have seen earwigs.
   • Do this when you see earwigs in or around your house.
2. Prepare an alcohol-based bug spray to kill earwigs and get results quickly. Pour equal amounts of rubbing alcohol and water into a spray bottle. Spray the earwigs immediately when you see them. The alcohol soaks into the waxy protective film on the body of the earwigs, killing them instantly.
3. Sprinkle with boric acid powder to kill insects where you can't get to. Boric acid powder is a natural insecticide that kills earwigs when they come into contact with them. Sprinkle the powder on areas where the earwigs are likely to crawl through, such as along baseboards. Make sure to keep boric acid powder out of the reach of children and pets as it can harm them if they come into contact with it.
   • Buy boric acid powder at the hardware store or online.
   • Use as much boric acid powder as you need, as long as you keep it out of the reach of children and pets.
   • You can also sprinkle boric acid powder around piles of wood and in damp corners of your garden to control earwigs.
4. Create lighted earwig traps to kill the earwigs outside at night. Fill a bucket with four parts warm water and one part dish soap and stir the mixture until it foams. Put the bucket outside and shine a lamp on the surface of the suds. The earwigs are attracted to the light and drown in the bucket. EXPERT TIP

   Make traps with oil and soy sauce to catch and kill earwigs. Pour equal amounts of soy sauce and olive or vegetable oil into a plastic container. Make holes about half a centimeter in diameter in the lid and cover the plastic container. The earwigs are attracted to the smell of the mixture, after which they crawl into the container and drown.

   • Fill the container with a two to three centimeter layer of sauce and oil.
   • If you put the trap in your garden, bury the tray in the ground up to the lid.
5. Vacuum large amounts of earwigs that you encounter. Tackle a large amount of earwigs in one area by catching them with a vacuum cleaner. Vacuum as many earwigs as possible and search the area with the vacuum cleaner to collect any eggs that may be there. If possible, dispose of the vacuum cleaner bag or empty the vacuum cleaner in a bucket of soapy water to kill the earwigs.
   • Prepare the vacuum before handling the bugs to prevent them from spreading.
6. Attract birds to your yard to kill earwigs naturally. Birds are earwigs' natural predators. Attract birds to your yard by setting up a birdhouse or birdbath to make the place attractive to them. You can also plant berry bushes and fruit trees to attract birds.
7. Use an earworm pesticide two to three feet from your house. There are numerous granular pesticides that are specially formulated to kill earwigs. Apply one of these pesticides to your lawn and garden up to two to three feet from your home. After applying the pesticide, spray your lawn with water immediately so that it can soak into the soil, as that's where earwigs often lay their eggs.

Method 2 of 2: Keep earwigs out of your home and garden

1. Plug holes in your window screens to keep earwigs out of your house. Earwigs can enter your home by crawling through tiny holes in your window screens. Close small holes and cracks in your screens with superglue. Close holes with a diameter of more than two to three centimeters by sticking patches of mosquito net on them with strong glue.
   • If your screen is badly damaged, replace it to prevent insects from entering your home.
   EXPERT TIP

   Fill cracks and holes near doors and windows with sealant. Earwigs are likely to enter your home through holes near doors and windows. Fill in small gaps in these places with a caulking gun. Do this once a year to prevent unwanted insects from entering your home.

2. Repair leaky faucets and drains in and around your home. A moist place is the ideal situation for earwigs to live in and reproduce. Prevent this by checking all taps, water pipes and drains in the bathroom, kitchen, toilet, basement and outside for leaks. Repair leaking pipes and drains yourself or call a plumber to help you. EXPERT TIP

   Use sodium lamps instead of regular lamps outdoors. Most lamps emit blue wavelengths that attract insects. Sodium lamps, often used as seedling grow lights, give off more yellow light. Replace the lamps at your front door, back door, on the patio and near your windows with sodium lamps.

   • Buy sodium lamps from a hardware store or online.

Tips

• Earwigs are very fast and difficult to catch.
• The leaves of plants affected by earwigs are serrated and full of holes. You may also see black earwig excrement on the leaves.
• Spread petroleum jelly on the bottom of your plants to prevent earwigs from climbing up.
• Expect to see more earwigs during particularly rainy seasons.
• Check any items you bring in from your yard for earwigs so you don't bring them into your home.
• Do not touch earwigs as they can bite.