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Earwigs do not eat their way through the garden, unlike most other pests, though they are partial to feeding on popular summer flowers and some soft fruits. While these small creatures are largely un-destructive, stopping them from nibbling on young plants when they come out at night is not always easy to do. However, according to the experts at Grow Veg, traps with an “attractive” habitat or refuge are all you need to “lure” these hungry bugs away from your summer crops.

The earwig usually seen in gardens is the common earwig, one of four species native to Britain.

While they are known for their long body and distinctive pincers on their rear end, earwigs are generally harmless to both people and the majority of plants.

However, the experts at Grow Veg explained that they can become a problem towards the end of summer when fruits start to soften with ripeness, and late-season flowers bloom.

Luckily earwigs found in the garden can be easily caught using homemade traps, none of which use harsh chemicals to remove the bugs.

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The Royal Horticultural Society said: “Earwigs are omnivorous, they feed on other small invertebrates and plant material.

“They can reduce fruit aphid problems but they may feed on flowers and leaves of clematis, dahlia, chrysanthemums, and occasionally other plants.”

Trapping earwigs lurking near these popular summer blooms can be done using either an oil pit, newspaper, or cardboard trap.

This method is best used to trap earwigs in a large open garden.

All you need to make it is a small plastic container with a lid and an attractive oily substance to lure the bugs in.

According to the experts at Grow Veg, a mixture of olive oil, canola oil, bacon grease, fish oil and soy sauce works particularly well to capture hungry earwigs.

They said: “You won't catch innocent victims, because earwigs are the only garden creatures attracted to the traps, which will need to be emptied and refilled every week or so.”

Simply pour the mixture into the container and cut an entry hole in the lid to attract, and trap the bugs.

This works best if the container is buried into the ground so the lid sits at ground level.

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Another good way to trap earwigs in the garden is to roll lightly dampened newspapers into hollow tubes to create a small tunnel.

The Grow Veg team recommended tying them with thread or lightweight cotton string, before placing them among plants that are “under attack” by earwigs.

After just a few days, the bugs should settle into newspaper tubes which can then be gathered and composted.

A similar reusable earwig trap can also be made by using short pieces of hollow bamboo, around the thickness of your finger.

Grow Veg said: “Earwigs can become persistent pests of peaches and other tree fruits, in which case cardboard earwig traps tied to trunks and lateral branches are in order.”

This trap is best used towards the end of summer in order to reap the benefits of these aphid-fighting bugs up until the fruit is ready to harvest.

To make the traps, all you need is some corrugated cardboard and strips of cloth to tie the traps to branches.

According to the experts, scientists use one-sided corrugated cardboard, which you can make by wetting one side of a piece of corrugated cardboard, and then prying it off.

Fold the carboard into a small roll and fasten onto the trunk and major limbs.

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