Knowledgebase
Clematis question #751699
Asked May 24, 2021, 8:56 AM EDT
Denver County Colorado
Expert Response
Clematis are certainly beautiful. Based on what you're saying you have the clematis x jackmanii which is the larger flowering clematis. The jackmanii blooms on current year's growth and should be pruned in the spring. Here is a link to a planttalk article on caring for your clematis:https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/annuals-perennials/1045-clematis-clematis/
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by pincher bugs that might be eating the flowers of your clematis. If the bug has a metallic green head with bronze colored wings then you may be referring to the Japanese Beetle that has become a problem in the Denver area the past several years. There are over 100 species of plants/flowers that the Japanese Beetle likes and the list is growing. Here is a link to a CSU fact sheet about the Japanese Beetle which includes control of the adult beetle as well as the grub. https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/japanese-beetle-5-601/
Maybe you can look at the fact sheet and see if it's the bug that you're seeing on your clematis.
One of the recommended methods of dealing with the adult Japanese Beetle is to hand pick the beetle off the plant in the morning putting them in a jar of soapy water.
If the bug isn't the Japanese Beetle you might want to take a picture of it and send it in for identification. If you do please include the size.
Without seeing a picture of the insect we can't make a positive identification. However, because you feel strongly that it may be earwigs here are a couple of links to fact sheets on earwigs; one is by CSU and the other is by the University of Minnesota. Earwigs like to hide in dark moist places and usually eat other insects and occasionally soft parts of plants. Peak earwig activity is from mid-July thru mid-September. Sometimes damage from other insects has been attributed to earwigs so you want to be sure you don't see any other insects on your clematis. The fact sheets have pictures of earwigs to help with the identification and contain information on control of earwigs both using home remedies and pesticides.
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/european-earwigs-5-533/
If you see the insect on your clematis again this season, capture one in a jar and send us a picture of it; we will try to ID it and recommend a management strategy to control them in the future.