Earwigs Eating Plants

[Indicat]

hi all, just a public service announcement here: earwigs will destroy seedlings, and do noticeable damage to mature plants.

 

i've read in a lot of forums that "earwigs are beneficial insects that eat other insects", well, that's complete b*llsh*t. i just tossed a pretty little white widow seedling in the trash this morning because a f**king earwig ate it.

 

so if you have a dark, damp michigan basement - be warned. if you see earwigs kill them on the spot.

[SublimeWind]

Sure it wasn't damping off??

 

You mention dark, damp, Mi basement... Perfect for damping off...

[Indicat]

yeah, it was one out of 12, so if it was a systemic issue due to overall humidity, then i would have seen more keel over.

 

aside from the fact that the stem had obvious areas where it had been chewed.

[bobandtorey]

yeah, it was one out of 12, so if it was a systemic issue due to overall humidity, then i would have seen more keel over.

 

aside from the fact that the stem had obvious areas where it had been chewed.

 

 

am glad they didn't eat all 12

[kenzie1051]

i found at least 14 or 15 ear wigs in my basement... i don't like the way they look.. or how fast they crawl so i always killed them when i found them. when i first moved in, every time i moved a pot 2 -3 would crawl out from the soil or jump off the leafs of the plant.

 

twice i found them sitting right on the tallest growth tip and they didn't jump off the plant when i walked by like usual... hmmmm.... strange... then i would put my finger right next to them and they didn't move. or they moved 1 mm.

 

i would just use a piece of garbage or paper towel and scoop them right off very slowly and gently to be sure not to hurt my biggest growth tip. if i didn't know any better.... id say the little buggers were getting high off my stash!

 

I haven't found any bite marks from them though..

[GanjaWarrior]

The "Green Option" - Environmentally friendly control of Earwigs

 

* Earwigs can be baited and sweet sticky substance will attract and hold them.

* Earwigs can be controlled with grooved board traps which are set in places earwigs are known to frequent. The earwig traps are checked regularly and any caught earwigs are disposed of.

* Place wet burlap bags or wet carpet, boards, newspapers or other cover material around the garden near the house. Collect the earwigs that congregate under the damp materials and dispose of the earwigs.

* Try poisoned bran sweetened with molasses to control earwigs.

[Indicat]

organic insecticidal soap kills them upon contact within about 10 seconds.