Hi there and thank you for using Ask Extension. I am a bit confused by your terminology. The ‘tassel’ of the corn is at the very top of the plant. This is where pollen will be once the tassel fully emerges. The ‘silk’ is the myriad of small filaments that come out the top of each ear once they form. This is the stuff that gets in your teeth when you eat corn on the cob. It is also what captures the pollen and fertilizes the corn kernels. So, when you say silk tassels you are describing two parts of the corn stalk. The tassels emerge ahead of the silk which comes as the individual ears start to form lower on the plant. The good news is that to my knowledge the earwigs don’t harm the tassels, but the bad news is that earwigs can eat the silk and in doing so can reduce the pollination and cause the ears of corn not fill out totally.

I have a couple of suggestions. First brush off as many of the earwigs from the tassels as possible. If you can somehow manage to knock them into a bucket with some soapy water in the bottom that would be great! Second, set traps to attract the earwigs. I found several suggestions on how to do this. Place tuna or cat food cans in the ground buried until their tops are flush with the ground. Put about one inch of corn oil in each can. The earwigs will be attracted and fall in and become trapped. Empty the oil and repeat to catch more of them. Another method is to make a roll of corrugated cardboard and place them around the corn patch. The earwigs are active at night and then look for a place to hide during the day. They will hide in the pockets of these rolls. You can shake out the rolls daily or discard them and put out fresh ones. A loosely rolled up newspaper can also be used. A couple of sources said to dampen these kinds of traps as the earwigs also seek out moisture. Now for some good news. Earwigs do not like hot dry weather and should seek out your traps. Our current weather being what is it should help with trapping them. Hopefully, you will be able to make a dent in their numbers prior to the emergence of silk.

When you harvest your corn, I suggest that you husk it outside your home and be ready for earwigs. They find their way into the ears sometimes. I have never found evidence of them eating the kernels, but they can leave behind nasty frass (bug poop). Any earwigs you capture now should reduce the ick factor you may have later.



Hello again.  No the tassel does not need to come into physical contact with the silk.  Corn pollen falls down from the tassel and lands on the silk.  The wind also carries pollen from other plants to the silks to fertilize the corn ears.  For this reason you should always plant at least four rows of corn.  When grown in blocks of least four rows you will get maximum fertilization and the best yield. Happy Gardening!