I've found the culprit!

[Mojave]

Here at my new location something has been dining on my potted peppers the past couple of weeks. Normally, other than aphids, I don't have any problems with things eating my pepper leaves and shoots. I've gone out at night but haven't seen anything except a single cucumber beetle on my plants. The amount of damage has really gotten crazy the past couple of days, especially on my red cherries and Tabascos-apparently their favorites.

Anyway, last night I went out after midnight and lo and behold my plants (especially the two varieties mentioned above) were covered with earwigs! I always thought earwigs were pretty much benign and somewhat beneficial.

I put out 2 empty tuna cans with about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in them, this morning they were FULL of hundreds of dead earwigs. Pretty yucky but it sure put a dent in their population. I'll set the traps again tonight and see what happens.

[Tonio]

Good to hear you found the culprit !! I was on all out war duty with the earwigs this early spring They set up condos under my snow pea patch and actually climbed up the wood triangle stakes 4' for some morsels to mention only one of the infestations

I fear using straw mulch for toms........when I know I need to mulch

[Mojave]

No new noticeable damage to report. The traps by the plants were empty but the traps elsewhere in the yard were full. I credit that to dusting the ground of my growing area (all in containers) with Sevin and Permethrin before placing the traps. I don't like using the chemicals but it really became a choice of stopping them now or losing my plants.

[JamesL]

Earwigs are NOT beneficial - unless your name is Satan as they are his spawn.
Have a ton of them this year as well, but not on the tomatoes.

veggie oil? Is that all you but in the cans? no other "bait" or attractant??
Love the simplicity.

[Mojave]

Originally Posted by JamesL

Earwigs are NOT beneficial - unless your name is Satan as they are his spawn.
Have a ton of them this year as well, but not on the tomatoes.

veggie oil? Is that all you but in the cans? no other "bait" or attractant??
Love the simplicity.

Yep, just the oil. I didn't rinse the cans before "baiting" them so maybe the trace tuna bits added to the attractiveness of the trap.

I've heard earwigs eat other bug's eggs, that's why I was thinking beneficial. From my observations the only other bugs that seem to thrive here are spiders and pill bugs. The earwigs rule this yard, well maybe not any longer. Just worried killing them off may upset everything and let all the other regular demon bugs gain a foothold.

A week ago I killed the biggest Black Widow I've ever seen. She was a really, really, really scary sight, her nest was in a box covering the sprinkler system valves and was also earwig Grand Central. Black Widows and earwigs are allies?

[JamesL]

Thanks. Might have to open a few cans and make myself a tuna sammy tomorrow. Side bonus, earwig traps! Alas, no ripe tomatoes yet for inclusion...

I think earwigs are pretty much scavengers and will eat anything. I have heard the same about them eating other bugs, aphids,etc. I haven't had to spray for insects yet, although I am starting to see some minor leaf damage so I better start.
Black widow - shudder.....
Never seen one 1st hand and hope I never do!
She was probably feeding the earwigs to her kids.

[Mojave]

Update: 5 minutes ago I went out to check on things, not a bug in sight around my containers, thanks to the chems I guess. Before sundown I moved the traps away from my peppers and placed them in strategic spots (non insecticide treated areas) around the yard, they are crawling with earwigs.