Showing posts with label earwigs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label earwigs. Show all posts

Friday, July 12, 2024

Are Earwigs Really That Eerie?

European Earwigs (Forficula auricularia) are common insect pests throughout the United States. They feed on plants, including flowers, garden vegetables, and fruit trees. The common name “Earwig” is based on the false notion that this insect could enter a human ear and cause substantial damage. Earwigs are predominantly reddish brown and adults are typically ¾ of an inch long. The most identifiable feature of the earwig is the appendages at the tail end of the insect which appear to be pinchers or forceps and are referred to as cerci. The male earwig has strongly curved cerci while the female cerci are nearly straight. Earwigs have wings but are rarely seen flying.

Earwig damage to seedling plants, soft fruits, and new flowers can be substantial while damage to mature plants is limited and usually of little concern. Since earwigs are omnivorous, they can be useful as they can feed on aphids and insect eggs. Earwigs are mainly nocturnal creatures that prefer damp and dark locations but can be seen during daylight hours, especially if their hiding places are disturbed. Earwigs often enter homes and other buildings during hot and dry weather or when temperatures drop as in the late fall. Depending upon access points, large numbers of earwigs can invade occupied homes and cause distress for some but they are little more than a nuisance. Earwigs can cause significant damage to certain crops such as stone fruits when they create holes that deeply penetrate fruits. Strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries can also suffer damage although the most substantial damage can occur when earwigs feed on corn silk which will cause pollination problems and poor kernel development. The most typical and obvious damage to plants by earwigs is when they make irregular holes in leaves and flower blossoms.

Controlling or reducing earwig populations can be more than a little challenging. When the goal is to prevent house infestations, residential insecticides, when used according to label instructions, can help. The best method to keep earwigs out is to properly and completely seal around doors and windows with caulk as those are the most prominent entry points. When the goal is to prevent garden or orchard infestation, appropriate insecticide sprays used according to label instructions can suppress the earwig population, especially when conducted soon after dark since earwigs are mostly nocturnal.

Because earwigs beneficially consume other insects, especially aphids, and are a non-dangerous nuisance indoors, it turns out that earwigs aren’t that eerie after all.

Friday, July 21, 2023

Why do we have so many earwigs this year?

Why do we have so many earwigs this year? Haven't we heard this every year? Well for one thing it has been a wet and slightly warmer spring. These weather conditions have made better than ideal living and growing media for the earwig. They like wet damp hiding places and with a little mulch or loose compost to hide in during the day.

How to identify good earwigs from bad earwigs.
They are all the same so to speak. They are opportunistic eaters. They live on dead decaying matter, eat aphids and other small prey and love young growth of certain plants, like Marigolds. This is shown in the picture with all the cans full of earwigs and decimated marigold plants. The shallow cans were placed next to plants that the earwigs thought were the most tasty.
Simple home remedies can be used to lower the earwigs population.  There are quite a few methods you can use depending on your preference and patience. I prefer a little beer in a small cat food can but there other preparations you can put in the cans. Since they prowl at night, they hide during the day. Place burlap bags, boards, newspapers or other materials on the ground, then daily collect individuals that congregate under the cover and discard.

Predatory insects help control the earwigs. Believe it or not, there are other insects and animals that prey on the earwigs. Since the earwigs are nocturnal, hungry birds have to hunt them out in their hiding places during the day. Evening birds and amphibians will be able to find them out and about in the duff on their favorite plants. Knowing the life cycle will help you manage earwigs!

 

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Earwigs are invading my garden

Earwigs are in my garden.

 Why do we have so many earwigs this year?
 Well for one thing it has been a wet and slightly warmer spring. These weather conditions have made better that ideal living and growing media for the earwig. They like wet damp hiding places and with a little mulch or lose compost to hid in during the day.


 How to identify good earwigs from bad earwigs.
 They are all the same so to speak. They are opportunistic eaters. They live on dead decaying matter, eat aphids and other small prey and love young growth of certain plants, like Marigolds. This is shown in the picture with all the cans full of earwigs and decimated marigold plants. The cans were placed next to plants that the earwigs thought were there most tasty.


 Simple home remedies used to lower the earwigs population.
 There are quit a few methods you can use depending on your preference and patience. I prefer a little beer in a small cat food can but there other preparations you can put in the cans.


 Predatory insects that help control the earwigs.
 Believe it or not, there are other insects and animals that prey on the earwigs. Since the earwigs are nocturnal, hungry birds have to hunt them out in their hiding places during the day. Evening birds and amphibians will be able to find them out and about in the duff on on their favorite plants.


Follow the reference links for more in-depth information.















Monday, May 20, 2019

Unconventional Beneficial Garden Insects

We all enjoy being outside and, in our gardens, whether it be a vegetable or flower garden. Insects are a necessary part of those gardens,  through pollination or predatory instincts. But all too often we are quick to lump a majority of insects into the “harmful” insect category without really knowing the full story behind their roles in the garden.


Insects like the lady beetle and bees are well known for their benefits to the garden landscape. But did you know wasps are also beneficial to our gardens? Certain wasp species have been proven to hunt down pesky insects and remove them, thus helping the overall health of the garden. 


Mantids are also a great predator for your garden. With over 2,000 species found worldwide, these great hunters are also non-discriminate hunters and have been seen killing many pests like grasshoppers, moths, and flies. 



Another beneficial insect is the European earwig. While some people consider the earwig a pest in their garden, they can actually be beneficial to the overall balance of the garden.They are omnivore, eat leaves or petals from plants,and will eat lots of insects as well. The earwig is nocturnal, so it eats at night.

We have all experienced spiders in the gardens. There are many kind of spiders that are extremely beneficial such as the harvestman spider, also known as a daddy-long-legs. These helpful hunters help keep down the overall populations of a myriad of harmful pests in and around your garden. Pests such as aphids, slugs and other spiders have been shown to be controlled via the harvestman spider.

So maybe next time you’re out in your garden, don’t be quick to judge these pests and allow them to do the dirty work for you.