How to Get Rid of Earwigs on Dahlias: A Complete Guide

Dahlias are a beloved late summer flower, prized for their vibrant colors and lush blooms. However, these showy blossoms also attract unwanted attention from earwigs. With their chewing mouthparts, earwigs can quickly damage dahlia flowers and foil your efforts for that perfect bouquet.

Don’t resign yourself to ravaged blooms. This guide covers smart strategies to banish earwigs from your dahlias. With a multi-pronged approach, you can deter these annoying pests and enjoy earwig-free dahlias.

Understanding Earwigs

Before exploring removal methods, let’s look at what makes earwigs such bothersome garden pests:

• Earwigs are drawn to moist, shaded areas with abundant mulch or plant debris This makes dahlia beds an ideal habitat.

• They feed at night, chewing irregular holes in flowers, leaves, and stems. This nocturnal behavior makes them hard to detect.

• During the day, earwigs hide in dark, damp crevices and underground burrows near plant roots.

• The common European earwig is the dominant garden pest, especially in cooler climates. They survive winters as adults.

Knowing earwig behavior provides clues for discouraging them from your dahlias. Let’s look at proven tactics.

Remove Their Hiding Spots

Earwigs rely on moist, shady spots to rest and breed during the day. Eliminating these habitats around your dahlias forces earwigs to look elsewhere.

• Clear away any accumulated mulch, dead leaves, or dense ground cover near plants. These offer prime real estate.

• Thin out foliage and stems to increase airflow and light penetration.

• Repair any irrigation leaks that create damp areas.

• Spread a thin layer of fresh mulch after cleanup to deter new colonies.

Regular garden cleanup and vigilant mulch management deprives earwigs of their favorite hideouts. Don’t give them any reason to stick around.

Apply a Barrier Spray

Insecticidal soaps, neem oil, and essential oils like peppermint, eucalyptus, and tea tree make effective organic barrier sprays. Coat dahlia stems, leaves, and blossoms thoroughly in late afternoon before earwigs emerge.

These botanical solutions have low toxicity but the oily residues and strong scents repel and irritate earwigs upon contact. Reapply after rain or every 7-10 days as needed. For quicker results, rotate between different essential oils.

Use Traps Around Beds

Trapping earwigs heading to your dahlias at night is an easy way to thin their numbers. Make simple traps from overturned clay pots, cardboard tubes, or small cans filled with a bit of oil. Place traps near plants in late afternoon and collect/dispose of earwigs each morning.

Alternatively, lay damp cardboard or burlap on the ground. Earwigs will seek shelter underneath during the day where you can then destroy them. These methods won’t eliminate all earwigs but help reduce the pressure on your plants.

Apply Diatomaceous Earth

This powdery natural product is made from fossilized algae called diatoms. Spread diatomaceous earth around the base of dahlia plants and across infested beds. The microscopic particles abrade earwigs upon contact, damaging their outer cover and causing dehydration.

Since diatomaceous earth is non-toxic for humans and pets, it’s great for organic gardening. Reapply after rain or watering. Wear a mask to avoid inhaling the fine dust while spreading.

Deploy Beneficial Nematodes

Certain nematodes are parasites that attack earwigs and other soil-dwelling pests. After application, they enter earwig bodies and release bacteria, killing them within 48 hours. Treat infested areas monthly according to product instructions. Their long-term persistence and safety make nematodes a smart biological weapon.

Use Food-Grade Baits

Boric acid powder or orthoboric acid can be used to make liquid or solid baits. The low toxicity to plants and people makes these effective DIY options. Add to a sugar-water mixture and apply to pipe cleaners, cotton balls, or shallow dishes. Earwigs will carry particles back to their hiding places, eliminating whole colonies.

Inspect Plants Daily

Closely checking dahlias each morning lets you manually remove any earwigs taking refuge in flowers before they can damage blooms at night. Pay extra attention around crevices in flower centers. Drop any collected earwigs into soapy water.

While labor intensive, this ensures no earwigs go undetected. Make it a daily routine if traps and barriers aren’t solving the problem.

Enlist Help From Birds

Birds like blue jays, catbirds, and mockingbirds prey on earwigs. Entice these winged helpers by providing a water source and perches like trellises or tall flowers. Avoid harming birds if using any chemical treatments. A thriving bird community is free pest control!

Know When to Call a Pro

For severe infestations, bringing in a professional exterminator may be the smartest move. They have access to stronger chemical options like insect growth regulators that give lasting control. Just be sure any treatments used are approved for edible plants.

Getting an exterminator involved makes sense if:

• Earwigs are heavily embedded in multiple areas of your property
• Extensive damage is already present on plants
• DIY efforts have failed to significantly reduce the earwig population

Professionals have the tools and training to eradicate large-scale earwig invasions when home remedies fall short.

Protect Next Year’s Dahlias

Getting through this season’s earwig woes is only half the battle. Implement these proactive steps to avoid renewed attacks on future dahlia plantings:

• At season’s end, remove all dahlia tubers from the soil to prevent overwintering earwigs from damaging new shoots in spring

• Rotate dahlia planting sites each year to interrupt earwig life cycles

• Maintain diligent garden sanitation year-round to eliminate protective habitats

• Inspect tubers closely for signs of earwigs before replanting and discard any infested ones

Staying vigilant with preventative measures is key to ensuring your dahlias escape earwig damage. An ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure when managing garden pests.

The Fight Against Earwigs

Dahlias and earwigs don’t have to be a package deal in your garden. With this array of organic, chemical, and mechanical control options at your disposal, you can custom-tailor an earwig management plan to match the unique needs of your garden.

Consistency and diligence are vital when battling these persistent pests. But the reward will be gorgeous, earwig-free dahlia blooms all season long. Don’t surrender your plants to these bothersome bugs. Fight back and reclaim your dahlias!