issues, diseases and pests

I've never had to do this but it seems that you could submerge the entire pot in a tub or bucket of water. The earwigs should come out quickly. They may start to climb the foliage but you can pick them off or spray them off the leaves with a water spray. If your plants are potted in bark this method could be problematic since a lot would float . Of course, there is always insecticide. Good luck.

 

Most people I know who summer their collections outside treat them with an insecticide before bringing them back in.

 

Bayer 3 in 1 is a good choice. It has a systemic insecticide and a miticide. I have one long narrow greenhouse that is a breezeway in the warmer months when I open up the ends so it is susceptible especially to aphids I spray in the spring. I spray once and then about 10 days later and keeps them clean through the warmer months. Sevin will work for things that have crawled into the bark.

 

Watering with the Sevin should work well for the earwigs.

 

Since the Bayer 3 in 1 is systemic you can spray them and wait a bit then wash them off well and minimize what will be coming in with the plants.

 

I guess French earwigs are a bit different than the variety we have on the west coast of US and Canada. They can strip a garden plant of leaves over night. They love to chew threw the middle of a spike so you find it wilting and bent in half when you see it in the morning. And flowers are like manna from heaven.

 

Earwigs are both beneficial and damaging. Turns out they are omnivorous and will eat what is available including aphids, mites, decaying material and living ornamental and garden plants. There is a ton of info on the web including control methods. Here is just one of many links: http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/how-to-control-earwigs

 

Ray, I think that is a very narrow perspective. I was pointing out that both lepetitmartien and Marni were accurate and I never suggested that people should not try to keep them out of their grow spaces. True, in a greenhouse full of orchids an earwig would be considered (by most) a pest regardless of some beneficial functions that it may provide. However, my comments were intended only to provide some insight into the insect.

Examples: ants are an incredibly valuable insect ... but I don't want them in my house. If they come inside I kill them.
Many exotic ornamental plants are beautiful in gardens and lawns but when they start naturalizing and spreading into the natural environment they cause havoc and cost billions of dollars to try to eradicate.
I have spent part of my career reestablishing riparian forests on ranch and farmland along rivers and streams. However, if an oak starts to grow next to my house foundation I remove it. Does this make oaks bad? Of course not. A weed is any plant that is growing where you don't want it. An insect is a pest when the damage out-weighs the benefits.

So, are fungus gnats beneficial? Yes, but that doesn't mean you will want them in your greenhouse. Are wolves beneficial? Yes, but I don't want them coming into my backyard. Are earwigs beneficial? Yes, but I don't want them in my greenhouse either.

Enough on the subject.

 

All's good.