 Garden
Pests
Earwigs
Earwigs
Description of Insect
Dark brown European earwigs with pincers on
tail end
Description of Damage
- chew leaves leaving holes
- eats seedlings,
- stems.
- feeds at night, manly on decaying matter but in large numbers could cause damage.
Attacks
flowers, seedlings, corn silk, tender
plants
Organic Controls:
Floating row cover destroy infested plants use
barriers/traps
- A good trap/attractant is as follows: in a bowel place small apple
cider, or
vinegar. Attracts, replace with new mixture. try different types like wine,
beer, whisky,
etc. reduce food supply by controlling weeds
Safe Botanicals:
- Cayenne Pepper (Tabasco sauce)
- Garlic
- Pyrethrium mixed with molasses
- Dr. Bronners Peppermint soap
- Garden and Food Grade DE
- Castor Oil or any Vegetable oil
- Coconut oil
- Essential Oils
- A sample formula for spraying: in a quart water filled near to top add:
5 drops Tabasco sauce
1 drop Dr. Bronners peppermint soap or any natural soap
2 drops garlic oil or crushed or bought spray on leaves and directly on bug.
- test for strength to avoid damage to plants.
- Pyrethrium can be dusted around the plants. avoid beneficials be pest specific
- A good dust mixture is: 1 part Pyrethrium 1 part Garden Grade DE 1 part alfalfa
meal 1/8 part cayenne pepper dust around plants and under leaves, don't water for 24 hrs
avoid beneficials, be pest specific
- Do not use soaps that are
chemically made or that have strange chemical additives or preservatives. Instead use only
natural soap, either citrus or peppermint based are best but try herbal soaps. Use only a
very small amount of soap and use only when necessary.
- Get Dr Bronners Soap here
- for more information on soap From Using Soap to Using Ultra Fine Oil
Natural Predators
Predatory Nematodes Dr. Pye's Scanmask 7 Million Live Beneficial Nematodes
Need more help?
The Invisible Gardener
Last Update: 12/18/2012
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