What Do Earwigs Eat

If you’ve spotted an earwig in your garden, your first question is probably, “What do earwigs eat?” Understanding their dietary habits is the key to managing them effectively. These insects with their distinctive pincers have a reputation that often precedes them, but their menu might surprise you.

They are not the monsters of folklore. In fact, their eating habits make them a complex character in your garden’s story. Sometimes they’re helpful, and other times they’re a pest. Let’s look at what’s really on their plate.

Earwigs are omnivores, which means they eat both plant and animal matter. Their diet is incredibly varied and changes based on what’s available. This flexibility is why they can be found in so many different environments, from your flower bed to under a pile of damp leaves.

Here is a breakdown of their common food sources:

Soft Plant Material: This is a major part of their diet. They enjoy tender seedlings, petals, and soft fruits like strawberries and apricots.
Decaying Organic Matter: They are excellent composters. They feed on decaying leaves, rotting wood, and other dead plant material.
Other Insects: Earwigs are predators too. They hunt and eat smaller insects like aphids, mites, insect eggs, and even other earwigs.
Fungi and Mold: They will consume various fungi and molds that grow on damp plants or wood.

The Garden Helper: Their Beneficial Side

Before you decide earwigs are the enemy, consider their helpful habits. Their appetite for pests can make them a natural form of pest control.

They are particularly fond of aphids. A single earwig can consume a large number of these sap-sucking pests in a night. This can protect your roses, vegetables, and fruit trees from damage.

They also clean up the garden by breaking down decaying matter. This process retuns nutrients to the soil, which benefits your plants. In this role, they function much like sow bugs or millipedes.

Plants They Tend to Target

While they eat pests, they also nibble on plants. Their damage is often confused with slug or caterpillar damage. Look for irregular holes in leaves and petals. They love damp, sheltered places, so damage is often worst on low-growing plants.

Flowers: Dahlias, marigolds, zinnias, and roses (they love munching on petals).
Vegetables: Seedlings of all types, lettuce, celery, and the silk on sweet corn.
Fruits: Strawberries, apricots, peaches, and raspberries are common targets.

The Garden Pest: When They Become a Problem

Earwigs become a noticeable pest when their population gets too high. This often happens in wet, mild seasons. When their preferred food of insects and decay is scarce, they turn more aggressively to your living plants.

You’ll know they’re the culprit if you see them feeding at night. Check plants with a flashlight after dark. During the day, they hide in cool, moist spots like under mulch, in fruit clusters, or inside flower heads.

Controlling Earwigs in Your Garden

You don’t need harsh chemicals. Simple, traps and habitat changes work very well. The goal is to reduce their numbers to a level where their helpful habits outweigh the harm.

Create Traps: Roll up damp newspaper or use short pieces of old garden hose. Place them near affected plants overnight. In the morning, shake the traps into a bucket of soapy water.
Reduce Hiding Places: Clear away excess mulch, leaf litter, and debris near garden beds. Keep the area around seedlings clean and open.
Use a Oil Trap: Sink a small container, like a tuna can, into the soil near plants. Fill it with vegetable oil with a drop of bacon grease or fish oil. They will crawl in and drown.
Encourage Predators: Birds, toads, and ground beetles eat earwigs. A bird bath or a toad house can invite these natural predators to help.

Earwigs Indoors: What Are They Eating There?

Finding an earwig inside is usually an accident. They don’t actively seek to live in your home because there isn’t enough food for them. They typically wander in through cracks seeking shelter from dry or cold weather.

Inside, they might scavenge on very small crumbs or dead insects, but they cannot reproduce or establish a colony indoors. They usually die quickly from lack of moisture and food. To prevent them, seal cracks around doors, windows, and foundations. Ensure your homes exterior is free of damp wood piles or mulch right against the walls.

Debunking the Earwig Myth

The old myth that earwigs crawl into human ears to lay eggs is completely false. The name is believed to come from the shape of their hind wings, which resemble a human ear. They have no interest in crawling into ears. Their pincers are used for defense, catching prey, and folding their wings, not for attacking people.

Seasonal Changes in Their Diet

What earwigs eat changes with the seasons. In spring, they target soft, new seedlings and early aphid populations. Summer offers a buffet of flowers, fruits, and abundant insects. In autumn, they shift to decaying plant matter as things die back, helping with clean up.

Understanding this cycle helps you anticipate problems. Spring is the best time to set traps if you’ve had issues before, protecting young plants when they are most vulnerable.

Identifying Earwig Damage Correctly

It’s easy to blame earwigs for damage caused by other pests. Here’s how to tell it’s them:

Holes in leaves and petals are ragged, not a clean cut.
You find them on the plant at night with a flashlight.
Damage is often accompanied by their dark droppings, which look like little black pepper flakes.
Silk on corn is chewed, preventing proper pollination.

If you see slime trails, that’s slugs or snails, not earwigs. If entire leaves are skeletonized, think caterpillars or beetles instead.

Creating a Balanced Garden Ecosystem

The healthiest garden has a balance. A few earwigs are a sign of a diverse ecosystem. They are part of natures clean-up crew and pest patrol. Tolerating a small population can actually benefit your garden overall.

Focus on growing strong, healthy plants that can withstand a little nibbling. Use traps only when you see a spike in population or significant damage. This approach is safer for you, your plants, and all the other beneficial insects we rely on, like bees and ladybugs.

When to Take Action and When to Let Them Be

Use this simple guide to decide:

Let them be if: You only see one or two occasionally. You notice them eating aphids on your plants. Damage to flowers or leaves is very minor.
Take action if: You find large numbers every night. Seedlings are being destroyed. Fruits like strawberries have lots of holes and earwigs are inside.

Remember, complete eradication is neither possible nor desirable. Aim for managment, not elimination.

FAQ: Common Questions About Earwig Diets

Do earwigs eat vegetables?
Yes, they can. They are especially fond of tender seedlings, lettuce, and the silk on corn. Mature, healthy plants are less likely to be severely damaged.

What do earwigs eat in the wild?
In wild areas, their diet consists mostly of decaying leaves and wood, along with a variety of small insects they find under rocks and logs.

Are earwigs carnivores?
They are not strictly carnivores. They are omnivores, meaning they eat both animals (like aphids) and plants.

What is an earwig’s favorite food?
If given a choice, they seem to prefer protein. Studies show they often choose aphids or other insects over plant material when both are available.

How much do earwigs eat?
They don’t eat a massive amount individually. But a large population can cause significant damage quickly because they feed in groups.

By now, you should have a clear picture of what earwigs eat. Their diet makes them a classic example of a garden insect that can be both friend and foe. With a little observation and the simple control methods outlined here, you can tip the balance in your favor. A peaceful coexistence is often the best strategy for a thriving, natural garden.