How Yakima Gardeners Can Fight Earwigs Naturally

Earwigs! My most despised insect is dealing with auditory listening and dressing up fake hair products. Okay, that’s a bad joke, but you’ll learn more about that in a moment. They seem to be everywhere throughout the Yakima Valley, and if you have a garden, then you have probably already seen the damage. Luckily, we have some tips from an expert below and a smart aleck story from me, too.

How Earwigs Decided My Course In Life

Growing up in Naches, right out our front door and to the left of our porch was a flower bed that seemed to be filled with earwigs, year-round. They freaked me out, and it’s all because of my brother.

child looking at an earwig.

One day, playing with cars, I asked my brother why those bugs were named Earwigs. He informed me of their purpose. Sure enough, next week during 2nd-grade science, the topic was insects, and the earwig was brought up.

I raised my hand with the confidence, knowledge, and ego of Neil deGrasse Tyson.

“They crawl into your ear and eat your brain!”
– 7-year-old me.

Everyone, including the teacher, laughed. I was confused because why would my big brother lie to me? But I also had a new sense that everyone was laughing, not at me, but at what I said. I did my first bit of comedy, and I liked it. 30+ years later, I’ve been striving to continue with jokes on stage, on the radio, and in articles dealing with earwigs. Now the informational part.

The Informational Part On Earwigs For Yakima Valley Readers

Master Gardener Laura Willett wrote in detail on earwigs, including the ear myth, the purpose of their pinchers, and how they are harmless to humans.

Our gardens, on the other hand, are another story.

You can keep your garden and yard cleaned up to help prevent them, as well as change your watering schedule, to help deter them, especially since they love cool and moist soil.

READ MORE: This Rare Beetle Lives ONLY In Washington State

DIY traps, like using a damp rolled-up newspaper at night or the oil and can method, seem to work especially well.

“I had an invested garden, I swear by the soy sauce and oil method. Before the traps, those buggers chowed down 18 newly planted marigolds to the nubbins in one night.”
– Christine Dickinsen, Yakima Master Gardeners’ Facebook post.

You can read more about Earwigs from Laura Willett, Master Gardener, at WSU.edu.

Tap the App and let us know if you’ve been seeing heavier amounts of earwigs than in previous years. And you can also let us know if you enjoyed my jokes.

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