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insects in garden #752059

Asked May 25, 2021, 2:21 PM EDT

Something is eating my garden! I have planted beets, cucumbers, winter squash, zucchini, sunflowers, zinnias, and marigolds. As soon as they sprout to about 1/4" inch, something eats them overnight. Some of the plants have made it a little bigger, but again, something attacks the leaves and eventually kills the plant. I have put out slug bait, diatomaceous earth, and now even seven. I can't see any evidence of what bug/slug is getting them. Your expertise help is greatly appreciated.

Jackson County Oregon

Expert Response

Without a picture of the damage, but based on this time of year, I think it is earwigs. They chew irregular, variable-sized holes in leaves and can devastate seedlings. 

They are nocturnal so you can search for them with a flashlight. During the day they hide in moist, dark places, like under stones and debris.

They can be trapped using fish oils and cat food in small containers. There are also earwig traps you can buy, as well as baits. To make your garden less attractive to them remove debris and other places where they can hide.

You can find more information, pictures of the European earwig, and a listing of chemical controls in this link to the Pacific Northwest Insect Handbook: https://pnwhandbooks.org/insect/hort/landscape/common/landscape-earwig

An Ask Extension Expert Replied May 25, 2021, 8:59 PM EDT
Thank you so much for the earwig info.  I had suspected the little critters as the culprits, will try to get them under control now.  Appreciate your help!

On Tuesday, May 25, 2021, 05:59:58 PM PDT, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:


The Question Asker Replied May 26, 2021, 11:04 AM EDT

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