Natural Earwig Repellents

There's nothing worse than seeing an earwig, pincher and all, in your home or garden. OK, so maybe there are worse things. But it's downright creepy and frustrating. Plus, if you're like me, chemical repellents are out of the question. Luckily there are a few natural earwig repellents. Since earwigs do not make nests inside homes, they can be eliminated from the home fairly quickly. It may take a little more consistency in the garden, but they can be repelled from there as well.

Get out your cooking oil. No, you aren't going to fry the earwigs for dinner. Fill a small square container to the halfway mark with vegetable oil. Place it where you have noticed the earwigs most. Each morning, you can scoop out and discard any earwigs with a spoon and reuse the oil. The earwigs are attracted to the oil and to the shape of the container. But once they climb in, they get stuck in the oil and can't get back out. This natural earwig repellent can be used both indoors and out.

Wow, a use for that newspaper has arrived. In the age of the internet, many people are neglecting their newspaper. Now you can use it as a natural earwig repellent. This method works best for controlling earwigs inside the home. Take a couple pages of newspaper and roll them up loosely into a rod shape. Now spray the newspaper roll with a light mist of water -- enough to make it damp. Place the dampened newspaper roll in the area where you are seeing earwigs. Leave it there for several hours or overnight. Once it has attracted some earwigs, discard the newspaper into a sealed trash bag and take it out immediately. Repeat as necessary.

Get some diatomaceous earth. This substance can usually be found at local garden centers and plant nurseries. Sprinkle it in areas where the earwigs are found, either indoors or out. This substance will kill the earwigs by drying them out. It depletes their exoskeleton of the essential moisture, causing them to get dehydrated. I personally tend to leave this particular method as the last choice to opt for the more humane options first. This natural earwig repellent is highly effective and best used when there are more than a couple earwigs to deal with.

Repel earwigs by taking away their comfort zones. Did you know that earwigs like moist areas? Keep the indoors and outdoors dry to discourage them from coming around. You'll of course need to water the lawn and garden. But a good drainage system can prevent excess moisture from building up and attracting the earwigs. Also, try to avoid using wet or organic mulches. Use gravel or stones instead. If your kids like to run in the sprinkler, rotate its position often, so as not to saturate one area of the yard. The plus side to the rotation is that your lawn will get evenly watered while the kids play in the sprinkler.

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