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What’s causing the abundance of earwigs in Madison?

But the bug can be indicative of a larger pest problem and can often have a foul odor, according to the Dane County UW-Extension.

“I am getting a number of submitted photos of plants with holes in the leaves and no obvious culprit,” said Lisa Johnson, horticulture research specialist with the UW-Extension. “These are likely to be earwigs or slugs. Populations of both are high this year due to excess moisture.”