How can I avoid earwigs in my potted lettuce?
by
Susan M Bell
+2
I have tried planting various lettuce in pots on my deck but they become infiltrated with earwigs? Is there something I can do to keep them from eating my lettuce?
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Your best bet is creating traps - they work well and there are a few to try. Here are some detailed instructions: https://www.growveg.com/guides/dealing-with-earwigs-in-your-vegetable-garden/
Good luck!
Warm soapy water with Dr. Bronner's organic liquid soap in a pump sprayer works also. Spray into the cracks and crevices/leaves of your plants. Scented
or unscented works.
I use natural diatomaceous earth (local garden shops) to control most bugs, including earwigs. Just sprinkle around your plants and when bugs walk across it, they scratch their bodies, and then dry out. If you get the food grade DE, you can sprinkle it directly onto the lettuce leaves. DE is especially good for snail and slug control too.
I, too, use food grade diatomaceous earth. It gets rid of ticks, fleas, ants and others insects while not hurting wildlife or other animals.
Nasty things, those earwigs! You can put a small container of ammonia down into the ground in your lettuce bed. The earwigs will go for the odor, and fall into the container and die. Be sure to keep changing the ammonia .Others I've talk to say beer works also. I also use this for snails, that is when I do not have time to go out and hunt them down! Then I just toss them into a small pail with ammonia and water. By the next morning they are dead and I toss the ammonia on the lawn, it will help green up the lawn and the lawn mower takes care of the snail shells.