How to Make a Homemade Earwig Trap

Use this tutorial on how to make an earwig trap to catch the earwigs in your garden.

How is your garden coming along this year? Are you having any problems with garden pests like rodents or invasive insects? Earwigs can be a big nuisance when they start to chew the leaves of your plants. Sure, just about any insect can do this, but with earwigs will gnaw on your plants until the leaves are completely gone. Starter plants don’t stand a chance when their new growth is chewed down to the stem. Earwigs seek out damp, dark dwellings and will feast on just about any organic matter.

If any of your flowers, veggies, or herbs are starting to show holes chewed through the leaves, there’s an easy way to see if earwigs are the culprit. Wait until the evening when it has been dark for a good hour or two. Use a flashlight to take a look at your affected plants. Are they covered in earwigs? Do earwigs take off running when you gently shake the leaves? Homemade earwig traps are an easy and affordable solution to combat these little pests. They’re made with just a couple ingredients from your kitchen, further eliminating the need for pesticides.

With a little persistence you’ll be able to reduce the number of earwigs in your garden and hopefully save your plants before it’s too late.

How to Make a Homemade Earwig Trap

Materials:

1/3 cup cooking oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 shallow plastic container or lid, about 2 to 3 inches deep
Scissors

Instructions:

1. Cut your container if needed to shorten the depth to 2 to 3 inches.

2. Add the oil and soy sauce.

3. Dig a shallow hole in the soil a few inches away from the plants being targeted. Bury your trap completely in the ground and fill dirt around the lip of the container. You will want your trap to sit evenly at ground level.

4. Let the trap sit overnight.

5. Remove the trap in the morning and reuse until full or it needs a clean mixture.

Simply put, the earwigs are tempted by the soy sauce and trapped by the oil and salty mixture. It is best to remove your homemade earwig traps in the morning to prevent attracting other insects and to avoid overflow in the event of rain or watering.

A few ideas for containers that work well are yogurt cups, emptied dip containers, and used party cups. You can usually use them for 2 to 3 nights before they get full and need to be refilled.