Earwig, crawling insect susceptible to desiccation. Earwigs are omnivores: plants, animals and dead (plant) material.
Earwig Crawling insects; the common earwig (Forficula auricularia) is native to Europe and western Asia. Earwigs (Forficulidae) belong to the (Dermaptera) and are active at night.
Earwigs hide in flowers, behind loose bark and under leaves. They like a humid environment because they dry out quickly. Earwigs are omnivores: plants, animals and dead (plant) material.
Peppers and paprikas are still prone to earwigs: they hide in the hollow fruit. Earwigs also like to hide between the scales of the artichoke and in the flowers of the dahlia.
Birds, frogs, mice, parasitic flies and spiders are the earwig’s natural enemies. Magpies, jays, blue tits and starlings especially like to eat them.
Sometimes earwigs are welcome because they to control spider moths, for example.
Control
When touched, they drop to the ground. If you suspect lots of earwigs (peppers, artichokes), tap the plant and they will fall out.
Prevention
Earwigs have many enemies, including birds (great tit), parasitic wasps and spiders. If earwigs are a pest, creating a bird-friendly environment helps.
