If you’ve walked into your garden one morning and found small holes chewed through flower petals or young vegetable leaves, you may have wondered if earwigs were responsible.
The answer isn’t as straightforward as many people expect.
Unlike insects that feed almost exclusively on plants, earwigs are omnivores. That means they eat both plant material and other insects. In some gardens they’re helpful predators that reduce aphid populations. In others, they become unwanted visitors that chew on flowers, vegetables, and tender seedlings.
Whether earwigs are helping or hurting depends largely on how many are present and what they’re finding to eat.
The Short Answer
Yes, earwigs eat plants.
However, they also eat many things that benefit your garden.
Their diet commonly includes:
- Tender leaves.
- Flower petals.
- Soft fruits.
- Seedlings.
- Aphids.
- Insect eggs.
- Small caterpillars.
- Decaying organic matter.
This varied diet is why some gardeners appreciate earwigs while others consider them a nuisance.
Earwigs Usually Prefer the Easy Meal
One thing I’ve noticed is that earwigs rarely start by attacking healthy plants if easier food is available.
They often feed first on:
- Dead leaves.
- Fallen fruit.
- Decaying plant material.
- Fungi.
- Soft-bodied insects.
Only when food becomes limited or populations become unusually large do they begin causing noticeable damage to living plants.
That’s one reason two neighboring gardens can have completely different experiences with earwigs.
Which Plants Do Earwigs Damage Most?
Although they’ll sample many different plants, some are much more attractive than others.
Plants commonly damaged include:
- Lettuce.
- Dahlias.
- Marigolds.
- Zinnias.
- Strawberries.
- Corn silks.
- Young bean plants.
- Seedlings of many vegetables.
Tender new growth is especially attractive because it’s easier for earwigs to chew than older, tougher leaves.
Flowers Are Often the First Place You’ll Notice Damage
Many homeowners first discover earwigs because of damaged flowers rather than vegetables.
Earwigs commonly feed after dark, chewing:
- Petals.
- Flower buds.
- Soft blossoms.
Because they’re nocturnal, the flowers may look perfectly fine in the evening and noticeably damaged by the following morning.
That’s one reason earwigs are often blamed for “mystery” garden damage.
Young Seedlings Are Most at Risk
Mature plants can usually tolerate a little feeding.
Fresh seedlings are a different story.
Very young plants have:
- Thin stems.
- Tender leaves.
- Limited energy reserves.
Even a small number of earwigs feeding over several nights can seriously weaken or kill newly sprouted seedlings before they become established.
This is why gardeners often notice the greatest problems during spring planting season.
Earwigs Aren’t Always the Villain
This is probably the most misunderstood thing about earwigs.
They don’t spend all night eating your plants.
In fact, they often spend part of the night hunting insects that actually do far more damage.
Common prey includes:
- Aphids.
- Mites.
- Small caterpillars.
- Insect eggs.
- Scale insects.
A healthy earwig population can sometimes help reduce these pests naturally, especially in home gardens and orchards.
Do Earwigs Ever Kill Plants?
Most of the time, no.
Healthy, established plants can usually tolerate a small amount of earwig feeding without suffering any lasting damage.
The biggest concern is with:
- Newly sprouted seedlings.
- Young transplants.
- Flower buds.
- Soft blossoms.
- Ripening fruit.
These tender parts are much easier for earwigs to feed on than mature stems and leaves.
If your plants are already stressed from drought, disease, or poor growing conditions, even moderate feeding may become more noticeable.
How Can You Tell If Earwigs Are Causing the Damage?
This is where many gardeners go wrong.
Earwigs often get blamed for damage caused by slugs, snails, caterpillars, or beetles.
Before treating your garden, try confirming they’re actually responsible.
Common signs of earwig feeding include:
- Small, irregular holes in leaves.
- Chewed flower petals.
- Damage that seems to appear overnight.
- Earwigs hiding beneath nearby mulch, boards, or flower pots during the day.
One of the easiest ways to confirm the culprit is to inspect your garden with a flashlight shortly after dark. Because earwigs are nocturnal, you’ll often catch them feeding if they’re responsible for the damage.
Should You Get Rid of Every Earwig?
In my opinion, no.
This is one of those insects where balance matters.
If you only have a few earwigs in your garden, they’re often doing as much good as they are harm by feeding on aphids, insect eggs, and other small pests.
The goal shouldn’t be eliminating every earwig.
The goal should be preventing their numbers from becoming large enough to damage your plants.
That’s a much more sustainable approach and helps preserve many of the beneficial roles earwigs play in the garden ecosystem.
How to Protect Plants From Earwig Damage
If earwigs are becoming a problem, I recommend starting with the least disruptive solutions first.
Some of the best options include:
- Reduce heavy mulch directly around vulnerable plants.
- Remove boards, pots, and debris where earwigs hide during the day.
- Water early in the morning so the soil surface has time to dry before nightfall.
- Handpick earwigs during evening inspections if populations are small.
- Protect especially vulnerable seedlings until they’re established.
If earwigs are also making their way into your home, I recommend placing Catchmaster Spider & Insect Traps Indoor Sticky Glue Boards (12 Pack) in garages, basements, and other common entry areas. They won’t solve a garden problem, but they’re excellent for monitoring and reducing the number that wander indoors.
My Take
I think earwigs have one of the most unfair reputations of any common garden insect.
Yes, they can damage flowers, vegetables, and young plants when populations get too high.
But they’re also active predators that help reduce aphids and several other garden pests.
For most homeowners, a handful of earwigs isn’t something to panic about.
I’d only take action when I start seeing repeated plant damage or unusually large numbers gathering around the garden.
In many yards, earwigs are simply another part of a healthy ecosystem rather than a pest that needs to be eliminated. Fireflies are another beneficial backyard insect that homeowners may want to protect rather than remove: another beneficial backyard insect
Frequently Asked Questions
Do earwigs eat vegetable plants?
Yes. Earwigs may feed on lettuce, beans, corn silks, herbs, strawberries, and other tender vegetables, especially when plants are young or populations are high.
Do earwigs eat flowers?
Yes. They commonly chew flower petals, buds, and blossoms, particularly on dahlias, marigolds, zinnias, roses, and other soft-petaled flowers.
Are earwigs good for gardens?
They can be. Earwigs feed on aphids, insect eggs, mites, and other small pests while also helping break down decaying organic matter. Their benefits often outweigh the damage when populations remain low.
Why are earwigs eating my plants all of a sudden?
Large populations, limited food sources, or an abundance of tender new growth can all increase plant feeding. Because earwigs feed mostly at night, the damage often seems to appear overnight.
Should I kill earwigs in my garden?
Not necessarily. If you’re only seeing a few, they’re probably helping control other pests. If you’re finding significant damage to seedlings, flowers, or vegetables, reducing hiding places and lowering the population is usually a better approach than trying to eliminate every earwig.
About the Author
Daniel Brooks is an urban entomology educator with more than 15 years of experience helping homeowners identify common household pests and understand why they’re invading their homes. He specializes in practical, science-backed prevention strategies and long-term pest control solutions that solve problems at their source.
