[simonj]

Went away for a week, came back to my Garden, to find not only have the greyhound cabbage been decimated by caterpillars and perhaps slugs, but my broadbeans have been attacked by earwigs!!

I always thought they were harmless, but a lot of the pods are covered with smal black dots, and I found earwigs in two of the pods?

Because I have done most stuff in an organic way the weeds are out in force, so weather permitting thats tomorrows main job.

Apart from liquid derris and garlic spray, are there any other tips?

On the positive side the squash plants are coming up great and the first tomato and gherkin plants are shaping up - pray for sun

[PeterEnglish]

I've never had earwig damage in beans before, but I've grown dahlias a few times, and the old-fashioned, newspaper-stuffed, upturned flowerpots on sticks always trapped plenty of earwigs every night.

I've also heard of fish oil traps, for example the following (from the University of California):

"Traps can easily be hidden near shrubbery and ground cover plantings, or against fences. A low-sided can, such as a cat food or tuna fish can, with 1/2-inch of oil in the bottom makes an excellent trap. Fish oil (e.g., tuna fish oil) is very attractive to earwigs or vegetable oil with a drop of bacon grease can be used. Dump captured earwigs and refill cans with oil. Other common types of traps are a rolled-up newspaper, corrugated cardboard, bamboo tube, or short piece of hose. Place these traps on the soil near plants just before dark and shake accumulated earwigs out into a pail of soapy water in the morning. Continue these procedures every day until you are no longer catching earwigs."

Then when you've got rid of the earwigs, you'll need a spud gun to get rid of all the neighbourhood cats hanging around the garden looking for the tuna...

[michael brenock]

Earwigs are not the primary attackers of beans, they usually follow on where slugs have already damaged crops. Control slugs and the earwigs will go elsewhere. I agree with Peter English that dahlias are a great favourite for earwigs especially in moist weather. I shake them out when I see them.
michael brenock horticultural adviser (retired)

[michael brenock]

Earwigs are not the primary attackers of beans, they usually follow on where slugs have already damaged crops. Control slugs and the earwigs will go elsewhere. I agree with Peter English that dahlias are a great favourite for earwigs especially in moist weather. I shake them out when I see them.
michael brenock horticultural adviser (retired)

[simonj]

[Foxylock]

Just to add to Peter's excellent post on trapping, earwigs are also attracted to oatmeal whilst cats are not !! The tachinid fly is also a natural predator of the earwig and can be attracted by letting some herbs flower e.g. dill, parsley or sweet clover.