how to get rid of earwigs on bat faced cuphea plant

How to Get Rid of Earwigs on Bat-Faced Cuphea Plant

As a gardener, dealing with pesky insects like earwigs can be incredibly frustrating These relentless pests can quickly damage our beautiful plants, including the unique bat-faced cuphea. While earwigs tend to hide during the day, they emerge at night to chew on leaves, flowers, fruits, and tender stems of cuphea plants. If left unchecked, earwigs can even kill young seedlings

The good news is there are several effective methods to get rid of earwigs and protect your prized bat-faced cuphea plants. In this article, I’ll share everything you need to know to identify, prevent, and control earwig infestations on cuphea. Let’s get started!

Identifying Earwigs on Bat-Faced Cuphea

Before you can get rid of earwigs, you first need to learn how to identify them. Here are the key signs that earwigs may be attacking your cuphea:

• Irregular holes in leaves with ragged, uneven edges
• Wilting or damaged flowers
• Presence of small, dark brown insects with pincer-like appendages
• Small black specks (earwig frass) on leaves and soil

Earwigs are most active at night, so inspect plants carefully just after dusk with a flashlight. Their damage is very similar to caterpillars, but earwigs lack the webbing and large waste droplets of caterpillars.

Preventing Earwig Infestations

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to earwigs on cuphea plants. Here are some tips to help prevent infestations in the first place:

• Remove hiding spots like yard debris, mulch, and weeds around plants
• Avoid overwatering and improve drainage
• Clean up fallen leaves and fruits around plants
• Use floating row covers to create a physical barrier
• Rotate plantings to different areas of the garden each year
• Encourage natural predators like birds, frogs, and beneficial insects

Controlling Existing Earwig Populations

If you already see signs of earwigs on your bat-faced cuphea, take action right away with these control methods:

Manual Removal

Pick earwigs off plants by hand and drop them into a bucket of soapy water to kill them. Do this at night when they emerge to feed.

Traps

Simple traps can capture lots of earwigs. Make rolls out of damp newspaper or cardboard and place near plants. Or bury small cups filled with oil up to the rim near plants. Check traps daily and dispose of captured earwigs.

Diatomaceous Earth

Apply food-grade diatomaceous earth around the base of plants. The sharp edges cut and dehydrate earwigs on contact. Reapply regularly after rain or watering.

Insecticidal Soap

Insecticidal soaps containing potassium salts of fatty acids can kill earwigs quickly but won’t harm plants. Spray on plants after diluting according to label directions.

Neem Oil

Neem oil is an organic pesticide that disrupts the molting process and kills young earwigs. Mix it with water and a mild soap and apply as a foliar spray every 7-14 days.

Natural Predators

Encourage beneficial predators like birds, frogs, praying mantises, ground beetles, and centipedes in your garden. They will help keep earwig numbers down naturally.

Removing Hiding Spots

Earwigs hide in moist, dark areas during the day. Eliminate excess garden debris, heavy mulch, and weedy areas around your cuphea plants to deprive earwigs of shelter.

Sticky Barrier Tape

Wrap the trunks of cuphea plants with double-sided sticky tape. Earwigs get stuck on the tape when trying to climb plants at night.

Maintaining Plant Health

Healthy, vigorous cuphea plants are less susceptible to severe earwig damage. Make sure plants get proper sunlight, nutrients, and moisture to outgrow pest damage.

Crop Rotation

Rotating cuphea plants to different parts of your garden each year helps disrupt earwig life cycles. This lowers the chances of reinfestation.