Contents:
- What are Earwigs?
- Pestilent Behaviors of Earwigs
- How Do Coffee Grounds Repel Earwigs
- How To Use Coffee Grounds To Repel Earwigs
- Conclusion
Yes, there are several indications that coffee grounds are effective pest repellent. They have a strong scent that repels many insects, including earwigs. There is no concrete evidence that coffee grounds can be very effective against a swarm of earwigs.
However, many experiments have indicated that the insect is highly irritated by the strong coffee smell.
Are you experiencing the effects of earwigs infestation in your garden or around your home? These insects may be tiny, but they can often cause unspeakable damage to your beloved garden. These little insects can chew through anything in your garden, including leaves, stems, buds, flowers, and fruits. If you let them, they can make a nuisance of your efforts in no time.
This pestilent behavior often prompts the need to get rid of this pest before they have the chance to eat the actual fruits of your labor. Coffee grounds have been rumored to be a proper way to eliminate the tiny intruders, but there have been doubts about their efficiency.
Do coffee grounds repel earwigs? This article will address this query by providing detailed information on earwigs and how they react to coffee grounds’ strong smell.
What are Earwigs?
An earwig is a tiny insect from the Dermaptera order, one of the minor insect orders consisting of about 2000 species divided into 12 families. You can come across different earwig species in your garden, but the follicular auricularia is perhaps one of the most common.
Earwigs are unique and can be easily identified because of their special appearance, and this insect can be found on all continents except Antarctica.
Although these insects can sometimes be spotted scurrying across your yard during the day, it is somewhat a rare occurrence as the insect is nocturnal. They often hide in damp areas during the day, as they prefer to frolic at night.
Earwigs primarily feed on dead and live plants, which is why you are most likely to see them in your garden. Here are some physical features of earwigs to help you identify and control them.
- Body Shape: Earwigs appear slender, long, and flattened, a body shape similar to crickets and stick insects. Like most other insects, the earwig has six short, thin legs adapted for running.
- Size: Earwigs are generally small and have lengths of between 0.16 – 3 inches without pinchers. A male garden earwig is slightly more giant and weighs slightly more than the female.
- Wings: Not all species have wings. However, most adult garden earwigs possess two pairs of tiny yellow wings often folded at their back.
- Pincher: The most notable physical feature of the earwig is its pinchers used as a defense mechanism. The pincher is a pair of formidable forceps protruding from their very flexible abdomen.
Earwigs are not particularly dangerous and do not pose any direct threat to humans regardless of their intimidating forceps. However, if you own a garden, the chances are that you already listed this insect as an enemy.
Pestilent Behaviors of Earwigs
As if earwigs do not look scary enough, they have specific pestilent behaviors that rank them high among annoying garden pests. Because of their nocturnal nature, you may not find them foraying your garden during the day.
But the damage these insects cause to your garden when they come out to feed at night leaves nothing to be desired. They often invade your garden in numbers, devastating everything, including leaves, flowers, seedlings, and soft fruits.
Earwigs can also make their way into your home, where they can chew your natural flowers, books, clothes, etc. You would not want to imagine the outcome when these insects get a hold of your essential documents. These pestilent behaviors often prompt the need to eliminate them before they do more damage.
How Do Coffee Grounds Repel Earwigs
Over the years, many methods have been introduced for controlling earwigs, most of which have proven pretty effective. However, many garden owners prefer to use coffee grounds as a repellent for earwigs and many other insects. But are coffee grounds really adequate for pest control?
Coffee grounds are the byproducts or residues from the coffee brewing process. While some may see it as a waste product, it is nothing close to waste. Coffee grounds have a list of possible uses, but it is mainly utilized in gardens as manure or pest repellent. Is your garden infested by earwigs?
This condition is never favorable for your garden, and used coffee grounds may just be the best solution for you. Here’s how;
Used coffee grounds generally consist of several compounds, including caffeine. These compounds often emit strong smells that insects generally find repulsive. It can be fatal to some smaller insects, but it is only toxic to others like earwigs, leaving them no choice but to retreat.
How To Use Coffee Grounds To Repel Earwigs
Unlike other pest control methods, using coffee grounds to repel earwigs is pretty straightforward. All you have to do is apply your used coffee grounds in strategic places around your garden, and the smell will do its magic. However, some people apply it to their crops’ leaves and flowers, where it has similar effects.
One outstanding quality that makes coffee grounds excellent for earwig control is that it does not affect plants in any way. In fact, this compound has components that make it usable as manure.
Hence, it doesn’t only help in repelling earwigs and other notorious insect pests but can also decompose and make your soil more fertile. Also, contrary to unpopular opinions, coffee grounds will not attract rodents to your garden.
Conclusion
Earwigs are terrible pests that will not allow your plants to flourish and will almost always find their way to your lovely garden. Coffee grounds have proven a viable solution for pest problems in recent years. So do coffee grounds repel earwigs?
The answer is yes, and this article has highlighted why it may be your best option. What’s more? You can also use coffee grounds in your home to eliminate earwigs and other uninvited insects.
