Garden

[TeriK]

I have petunias that were just beautiful and they are suddenly getting eaten at night by earwigs!  Help......what can I do??????

[pattypeep]

@TeriK

1. Make a can trap. Place shallow tin cans (like cat food cans) in your yard. Fill them with 1/2" (1.25 cm) of vegetable oil. This will attract the earwigs, they'll crawl in and drown. Dump and refill the cans as needed.
2. Make an earwig-attracting roll trap. Roll up an old newspaper and place it near the base of your plants around sunset. (Alternatively, you can cut up sections of an old garden hose.) Empty these earwig tr…

See all 3 steps on www.wikihow.com

[gizmogal]

Could be aphids or mites. Real sap-suckers. You can buy a commercially prepared insecticidal  "soap" compound to kill 'em and revive your petunias. But another option is to create your own insecticidal soap using 1 tablespoon of mild liquid soap, like Dawn or similar, mixed in 1 quart of water. Shake gently to mix but don't create massive bubbles. Put it in a spray bottle and spritz the heck out of the petunias.

Whether you purchase commercial soap pesticides or make your own, it must come in direct contact with the bug for the insecticide to work properly, so thoroughly cover the top and underside of leaves as well as buds and stems. Repeat every seven to 14 days as needed.

It will do no harm to the plants, safe for pets and kids, and it's just dish soap and water, so you can mix up as much as needed. Definitely cures what ails your petunias. Be thorough with the spray a couple of times, but don't drown the plants every day. 

It works. I've won the battle several summers with this method. Good luck. 

[x Hedge]

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@TeriK wrote:

I have petunias that were just beautiful and they are suddenly getting eaten at night by earwigs!  Help......what can I do??????

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I battle with earwigs in parts of my yard every year. Thanks @pattypeep for your ideas. I'm rolling up a bit of newspaper for the Monarda bed tonight!

[JustJazzmom]

Another way to combat earwigs -- rolled up newspaper on the ground-- they crawl inside and the next AM you throw the papers out in the trash.

[AngelPuppy1]

I get this problem, too.  They will be fine one day and the next morning I will get up and the petals look like swiss cheese!  Is this what the ear wigs do???  This seems to happen every year.  My potted flowers on the porch get so beautiful and then --- bam!!!  They get attacked!  

[TeriK]

I am going to try some of these suggestions.....Thank you!!!

[JustJazzmom]

Check below the containers, earwigs hide underneath containers too.