Earwigs aren't always a garden pest. In fact sometimes they are beneficial eating small insects like aphids, mites and lice, as well as larvae, nematodes and small snails/slugs. However they are ominovores and eat small tender plants like lettuce or seedlings and rising fruits like tomatoes and strawberries. A few earwigs are fine. But a lot can cause big problems for your vegetable garden. Often an infestation or a large quantity of one particular insect to the point that they become a pest in