How to Get Rid of Pincher Bugs in an Apricot Tree
- 1). Pour ½ inch of vegetable oil into a low-sided can, such as a cat food or tuna can to make a pincher bug trap. Add a drop of bacon grease into the oil. Place two or three traps around the bottom of each affected tree. The oil will attract the pincher bugs, which will enter the trap and ultimately drown and die as a result. You can skim the deceased earwigs out of the oil and leave the traps in their positions to catch new bugs. Place a trap every 12 inches.
- 2). Roll pieces of newspaper and place them under the tree. Pinchers often seek refuge in dark, secluded areas and will likely enter the rolled newspaper looking for such a place. Shake the newspaper out in the trash can and pour boiling water over top of the bugs to destroy them. You could also shake the paper out elsewhere in your yard, but the pincher bugs may come back to the tree.
- 3). Perform maintenance around the base of the tree to keep it clear of weeds, suckers and debris. Earwigs tend to spend time in such areas and by preventing their presence, you can send the pincher bugs elsewhere to look for shelter.
- 4). Cut two or three pieces of 6 inch-long hose and place them around the base of the tree. The pincher bugs will hide in the hose. Pick up the hose and shake the earwigs out into a trash can or other grassy area for disposal.
- 5). Place sticky traps along the base of the apricot tree. The bugs will become stuck in the trap's adhesive and will remain captured. Throw the trap away in the trash can when it is full.
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