Hello!

Really hoping someone can help! We suddenly have a terrible earwig infestation in our house. They’re EVERYWHERE! I’ve never had this problem before and I’m not even sure what’s attracting them. Does anyone have any tried and tested methods of getting rid of them and keeping them at bay? I prefer to use safe and natural products around my home so I don’t really like the idea of using bug spray on them. Thanks in advance.


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  • Also having this problem! And they give me the heebie geevies! They seem to be appearing everywhere on hard floors. I read the pinchers are for show but I don’t want to find out the hardway! Let me know what worked for you!


  • …ooh it works in the garden too… so you could catch them before they get inside.


  • Roll up paper, or the cardboard with the wave through it….. put it in the dark places that you are finding the earwigs….. throw it in the OUTSIDE bin and replace everyday. The earwigs love to wriggle into the little spaces of cardboard or rolled paper, its like a trap!


  • I’ve heard scrunched up newspaper works, they like to hide in it. Put out at night and then dispose of in the morning. Worth a try


  • We had an infestation over 2 years ago. I followed the little nippers and found the nest (in the weep holes in the bricks). 1 whole can of bug spray, and lots of jumping around by me as they all fell out trying to escape, and haven’t had a problem since.


  • OMgoodness. I have this same problem. No suggestions, but bookmarked for other answers


  • You could try some of the natural products Natures Direct etc, but really Mortien Bombs are brillant for getting rid of bugs and spiders.


  • I have been told that used coffee grounds are good.


  • I would do one of those bombs, you don’t have to be in the house at the time and when you come back clean all surfaces and bedding as well as vacuum. I think it is the only way to fully get rid of them but that is your choice.


  • Bunnings have those sticky pads and they work great


  • We also have a problem with earwigs in our house. You can buy sticky pads from bunnings for pest control which are natural.


  • Make a can trap. Place shallow tin cans (like cat food cans) in your yard. Fill them with 1/2″ (1.25 cm) of vegetable oil. This will attract the earwigs, they’ll crawl in and drown. Dump and refill the cans as needed.

    Make an earwig-attracting roll trap. Roll up an old newspaper and place it near the base of your plants around sunset. (Alternatively, you can cut up sections of an old garden hose.) Empty these earwig traps into a bucket of water every morning, or place the inhabitants a long, long way from your garden bed and house.

    Make a shoebox trap. Poke some entry holes in the outer sides of a shoebox near the base. Place a thin layer of oatmeal or bran in the box and put the lid on it. Leave it on the porch or other entrance area around or in your home to trap the earwigs.

    Block earwigs from getting into your home by …

    Making sure that window screens have no holes; fix any holes you discover.
    Check that door thresholds and window frames have weatherstripping (self-adhesive) to cover large gaps.
    Check for cracks and holes in your house. Check eaves, foundations and floorboards for holes and cracks. Seal these (with the correct sealant), especially where electrical and plumbing fittings have created holes.


  • Looking for answers too! I surface spray which helps but not natural.


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