earwigs

[arthur e]

Going into my polytunnel late one night to try to find what was turning a lot of young plants into lace doilies I discovered it was Earwigs. Can anyone give the best method of defeating them, short of camping out in the tunnel with a torch and a squisher.
There doesn't appear to be a commercial earwig defeater.
Arthur

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Arthur e, an old method for trapping earwigs out of Dahlias, was to use flower pots placed upside-down, filled with straw, and placed on top of canes that where at the same height as the top of the dahlias.
You then have to shake the contents out in the morning, and dispose of them however you wish.

Rolled up corrugated cardboard will do the same since it will be under cover.

[arthur e]

Thanks for that OH but I tried it and found non in the plantpot I think it might be too dry for them,I think they must like a bit of damp to rest up in as I have found them under things which are damp. I think I will try damping the hay in the pot and see what happens.
I do find that now I have replanted the worst hit plants with the spares I kept for emergencies the rapid growth of these bigger plants is faster than the wiggies can keep up with. The worst hit were Cucumber, Butternut squash and Chillies.
At least I am hoping that the squash is a Butternut as I used seeds from a Tesco squash.
Arthur