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I'M NOT
MARTHA
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I'm Lizzy!! and I'm
not Martha!!!
I know I say this often but here I go again...I am always
amazed when a bunch of people write me about the same thing
at the same time. You would think by now this wouldn't
surprise me at all. But it does...every time! It's mass
consciousness thing, I suppose...but for some reason I never
think of it having anything to do with my life...but evidently
it does!
So here goes again. Many readers with the same
question. Remarkable! It
must be the season because last year
I got so many requests for earwig
info. Here is earwig once
again!
* Dear Lizzy,
Every couple of years we seem to have an "infestation" of
earwigs!! I notice they seem to like damp, dark areas -
especially in the basement. What attracts them and how do
I get rid of them? I have dogs in my house so I don't want
to use anything that would be dangerous to them. Any help
you could give would be GREAT - I am very squeamish about
insects but these are the absolute WORST!!
Thanks
Kelly
* Dear Lizzy,
You are my main source for Everything !!!!! Any suggestions of getting rid
of earwigs? They are the meanest, nastiest, ugliest, things and they are
taking over my yard. Please help. If anyone can, Lizzy can. Thanks.
Sincerely,
Joanne
*Dear Lizzy,
Can you help me get rid
of Earwigs? I was told when I got
central air, the earwigs would disappear. Wrong! They're
everywhere!
Becca
Aaarrrggghhh!!! I don't like these guys either! As a kid
they really upset me. They terrorized me in my dreams... blown up bigger
than life, running with giant pinchers coming after me...Heebie Geebies!!!
First off...let's get the big, (b)ugly untruth out in the
daylight! The name "earwig" is derived from an old English
superstition that these insects purposely enter the ear of
a sleeping person and bore into the brain, causing madness.
Poppycock! The poor bug just probably crawled in to get
out of the light one day and the entire species was doomed
to bad rep from then on.
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The name for earwigs is
Labidura riparia.
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There are 22 known
species of earwigs in North America, 12 of which have been introduced from
the tropics and Europe.
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They are everywhere!
Well, maybe not Antarctica or the
North Pole but every place else!
-
They are one of the
oldest insects on our planet. They haven't evolved a lot except to become
smaller. These
are chewing insects, distantly related to grasshoppers,
and have incomplete metamorphosis.
-
These creatures, active
at night while hiding during the daytime, normally live outdoors and do
not establish themselves indoors. They are harmless to humans and animals.
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They will run toward you
which makes you think
they are aggressive but in reality they are running for
the closest dark place to hide, like under your shoe!
-
Earwigs have a frightful
appearance. They are
elongate, flattened insects, about 1" long, ranging from light red-brown
to black and are easily recognized by their forcep-like appendages
(pincers) on the end of the abdomen. The forceps (cerci) are unequal in
length in the males. Earwig female forceps are straight-sided, whereas
male forceps are strongly curved (caliper-like) and larger.
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Some things never
change...males use their forceps to
hold the female during mating.
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During the spring or
autumn, females lay 20 to 50 smooth, oval, pearly-white or cream-colored
eggs in a below-ground chamber in the upper two to three inches of soil.
The female moves, cleans, and provides maternal care, protecting the eggs
and new young until the first molt. The young then leave the nest, fend
for themselves maturing in one season.
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Baby earwigs (nymphs)
look like small adults, but the
youngest ones have straight, slender appendages at the tip of the body
instead of pinchers. They are white to olive-green and don't have wings.
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Both eggs and adults
over winter. Earwigs may dig as deep as six feet below ground to escape
the cold temperatures.
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Moist summers tend to
make higher populations.
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They are active at night
and are often found around lights. During the day, they hide in moist,
shady places beneath stones, boards, sidewalks and debris...and, evidently
at least one ear at least one time! They are rapid runners, too,
especially when exposed to light.
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Earwigs are omnivorous.
They will consume algae, fungi,
mosses, pollen, insects, spiders and mites (dead or alive). Plant material
constitutes the bulk of their diet. Thus, earwigs may damage flowers,
vegetables, fruits, foliage of ornamental trees and shrubs, and even honey
in bee hives. If your plants are getting chewed to pieces and the roots
are shredded then there may be earwigs in your garden. Flip over a rock or
some mulch and if you see a bunch of them scurrying away then you
definitely have an earwig problem.
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Earwigs rarely fly and
are unable to crawl long distances, but often hitchhike in laundry
baskets, cut flowers, luggage, newspapers, lumber, baskets of fruits and
vegetables, automobiles, etc. They prefer moisture and may migrate indoors
during periods of prolonged heat and drought. Forceps at the end of the
abdomen are used to defend the nest, capture prey, probe narrow crevices
and fold or unfold wings...and thumb a ride.
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Earwigs require moist,
cool places and are found in damp crawl spaces, flower gardens near the
home, in mulches, compost piles, trash, under boards and in wood piles.
After entering houses, they feed on sweet, oily or greasy foods or
houseplants. They are attracted to lights...which is strange when you
consider that they go for dark, damp places to hide...go figure!
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Earwigs cannot breed
indoors.
-
It's not likely they can
be eliminated, but there are some steps to take to help reduce earwig
problems.
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Earwigs primarily
scavenge on dead plant materials and
dead insects, although may feed on live plants. Common
targets include marigolds, dahlias, zinnias, roses, lettuce, and
strawberries. Plants that appear to be defoliated overnight, with no sign
of pests in daylight, might be being attacked by earwigs.
-
For best control
indoors, you must first control earwigs outdoors. Since they are attracted
to lights, reduce lighting around doors, windows and other potential entry
sites. Use good night light discipline and special sodium vapor yellow
lights (less attractive to insects) instead of white, neon or mercury
vapor lights.
-
Next, work on reducing
entry points for these and other
insects. Check door thresholds, windows, and screens for a tight fit.
Caulk cracks and crevices around windows, doors, pipes, cables coming into
walls, especially at ground level. And in the foundation itself as well.
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During dry, hot weather,
earwigs sometimes migrate indoors. They are easily killed by residual
insecticide treatments in cracks and crevices, along baseboards, beneath
cabinets, along door and window sills and other hiding places during the
day. Unfortunately, control will be short-term due to new earwig coming in
from outdoors and may not be worth the spraying. If you do spray
insecticides, be sure to follow the instructions
on the label.
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Earwigs need and are
very attracted to moisture. Large
populations, practically invisible during the day, may be present around
foundations, in landscaped yards, in mulch, under boards, etc. Be sure to
eliminate damp, moist conditions in crawl spaces under houses, around
faucets, around air-conditioning units and along house foundations. Rain
gutters and spouts should carry water away from the house foundation.
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Change landscaping by
creating a clean, dry border im-
mediately around the foundation wall. Gravel or ornamental stones can make
an attractive barrier against earwigs and other pest invaders.
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Construct earwig traps
out of low-sided, old tuna
or pet food cans. Fill the cans with a half inch of vegetable oil. Place
several of these traps around the garden. When the cans fill with earwigs,
dump out the earwigs and oil and refill. They also like flat beer and the
dishwater from soaking pots and pans (no soap).
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Effective earwig traps
can also be made of rolled newspaper or old hose pieces. Place these tubes
near plants at sunset. The next morning, go out and shake the earwigs out
of the tubes over a bucket of soapy water. Continue the oil and tuna can
routine and the newspaper roll or hose trapping every day until you no
longer are catching earwigs.
-
Another thing that works
to get rid of earwigs is a Garlic Oil Spray. It can be purchased in garden
centers or made at home.
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3 ounces finely chopped
garlic cloves soaked in 2 teaspoons of mineral oil for 24 hrs. Slowly add
that mixture to 1 pint of water and 1/4 ounce of dishwashing liquid. Stir
it all together and strain to make sure no pieces of garlic are going to
block up the sprayer. From this mixture I use 1-2 tablespoons of the
concent-rate into 1 pint of water. This works on aphids, cabbage worms,
earwigs, leafhoppers, June bugs, squash bugs, and white flies. Spray the
ground where the insects are.
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Encourage your Blue Jay
population. They love to eat
earwigs! Leave out peanuts and sunflower seeds for your
feathery blue friends and conscientiously maintain the
level of clean water in the birdbath. Toads nosh on
earwigs, too!
-
Just so you
know...earwigs don't bite but the pinchers on their tails can give a nasty
pinch if they get trapped anywhere on you. They may emit a foul-smelling,
yellowish-brown liquid from their scent glands. Yick!
And one more thing...for
those of you with wells...loose-
fitting well caps provide an ideal hiding place for earwigs:
dark and damp during the day. Once inside a well cap, an
earwig may fall into the water, die, and decay, thereby
increasing bacterial contamination of the well. Earwigs are not considered
a public health threat and are not associated with any disease;
nevertheless, you should replace poor-fitting well caps with vermin-proof
caps to prevent any insects from contaminating the water.
I had dinner with Archie the other night. He always asks
what I'm working on. When I told him "earwigs", he was
hilarious. He quite earnestly informed me that that very
morning he had cleaned out his ears. No wax...or earwigs!
What a relief for all of us! It's amazing what people will
share with you...over dinner, mind you.
Take good care of yourselves. Let me know how your earwig
infestations are going...or shrinking, I hope!
Lizzy
Question...Comments...E-mail
Lizzy!
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END OF I'M NOT MARTHA Copyright 2002.
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