Earwigs
PEST
When it's active · UK
JFMAMJJASOND
When it's active · Northern Italy
JFMAMJJASOND
When it's active · Central Italy
JFMAMJJASOND
When it's active · Southern Italy and islands
JFMAMJJASOND
How to recognise it
Ragged holes in petals and leaves, mainly overnight; the insects have a distinctive pincer-like rear appendage and hide in dark crevices by day.
Life cycle and conditions
Most active on warm summer nights; shelter in dry, dark spots during the day.
Prevention
Reduce nearby debris and dense mulch where large numbers can shelter, if damage is a recurring problem.
How to treat it
🌿 ORGANIC · RECOMMENDED
Trap in upturned pots stuffed with straw or newspaper among affected plants, then relocate the earwigs elsewhere in the garden — they're valuable predators of aphids and other pests, so this is about redistributing them, not eliminating them.
🧪 CHEMICAL · IF YOU CHOOSE
Not recommended — earwigs do more good than harm in most gardens, and chemical control would remove a useful predator along with the minor damage they cause.
PLANTS MOST AFFECTED
IN THE CARE SHEETS
Dahlia