HELP!!! Anyone know how to deal with earwigs?

[SourPatchSwag]

I am in Nor Cal and i have earwig infestation (outside) i need help any one dealt with this problem? and if so how can i save my girls?

 

[D.Tree]

Earwig Aka adult termite ? Hmmm how are they affecting your gals? Pictures would help us farmers help u.

 

[SourPatchSwag]

No European Earwigs

They are outside under the pots because its moist and in the soil and just about everywhere, they eat the leaves it looks just like slug/snail damage and they only come out @ night.

 

[D.Tree]

Sampling. Population monitoring can be accomplished with baits and traps. Small piles of baits placed among dense vegetation can be used to monitor abundance because they often attract large numbers of earwigs. Wheat bran or oatmeal can serve as a bait. Likewise, traps take advantage of the natural tendency of earwigs to hide in crevices and dark spots, and can be used to detect presence of earwigs, and to estimate abundance.
Cultural control. On residential property or in small gardens, persistent trapping can be used to reduce earwig abundance, though this approach is challenging if the initial earwig density is high. Boards placed on the soil will be attractive to earwigs seeking shelter. Even more earwigs will accumulate if there are narrow grooves or channels in the board. Moistened, rolled-up newspaper placed in the garden in the evening and disposed of in the morning makes a convenient earwig trap for home gardens. A particularly effective technique is to fill a flower pot with wood shavings and invert the pot over a short stake that has been driven into the soil. Traps can also be placed in trees because earwigs favor convenient shelters after foraging for food during the evening.

Biological control. Several natural enemies are known, including some that were imported from Europe in an attempt to limit the destructive habits of this earwig in North America. Some authors have suggested that the most important natural enemy is the European parasitoid Bigonicheta spinipennis (Meigen) (Diptera: Tachinidae), which has been reported to parasitize 10-50% of the earwigs in British Columbia. Others, however, report low incidence of parasitism (Lamb and Wellington 1975). Another fly, Ocytata pallipes (Fallén) (Diptera: Tachinidae) also was successfully established, but causes little mortality. Under the cool, wet conditions of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, the fungi Erynia forficulae and Metarhizium anisopliae also infect earwigs (Crumb et al. 1941, Ben-Ze'ev 1986). The nematode Mermis nigrescens appears to be an important mortality factor in Ontario, where 10-63% of earwigs were infected during a 2-year period (Wilson 1971). However, this nematode has not been reported from earwigs elsewhere. Avian predation can be significant (Lamb 1975).

Chemical control. Residual foliar insecticides and baits containing toxicant can be used to suppress earwigs. Of numerous baits evaluated, Crumb et al. (1941) suggested that wheat bran flakes plus toxicant and a small amount of fish oil was an optimal for killing these insects. Fulton (1924) believed fish oil unnecessary but suggested addition of glycerin and molasses. Commercial products are rarely formulated specifically for earwigs because they rarely are a severe problem. Rather, products sold for grasshoppers, cutworms, slugs, and sowbugs are applied for earwig control. Bait is most effective if applied in the evening.

 

[SourPatchSwag]

Thanks!!

Thats a big help i'm gunna set sum traps, do you off hand know any products that are effective at deterring them?

 

[SourPatchSwag]

Sluggo Plus?

I also just found sluggo plus and it has a bacteria additive for earwigs and is organic/pet safe so i will give this a shot and set some traps and try to get this little fuckers under control thanks for your help

 

[Seamaiden]

Thats a big help i'm gunna set sum traps, do you off hand know any products that are effective at deterring them?

Diatomaceous earth* is another. I'm gonna have to try that Sluggo stuff you've mentioned, looks great.
*Edit.
I have lots of pinchbugs (what I was raised to call those nasty things) around here, too, and I'm pretty sure they're what's been eating the heads off my sweet pepper seedlings.

This is how I feel about them.

 

[crom]

As a quick fix you can use runoff trays with water in it and put our containers on bricks or something, making a moat that they don't mess with. I use mint plants around my containers to help deter pests as well. I have mint in containers that I move around now and then. Bugs don't like the smell of mint. Best of luck.

Cheers,
Crom

 

[SourPatchSwag]

I saw my first victim today

I witnessed to the devestation that sluggo plus reaks on them the spinosad bacteria is a nuerotoxin i found one a those fuckers today clenching and twisting and contorting and shitting himself so bad he couldn't move it was awesome!! And i only sprinkled it out last night. Its OMRI and safe for pets too. Good luck.:party0042:

 

[Seamaiden]

Yesterday I removed a long strip of landscaping fabric that I was using to block the view of my girls, and you should have seen all the fucking earwigs that fell out of it! OHMYGODITWASSOGROSS!!!!! And then there was this one white one, must have just shed its skin. Ew.

Then yesterday afternoon I glance outside the house and I see a shitload of bluejays attacking a snake, so I run outside and run them off and it's this GORGEOUS king snake, black & white striped, looked like a juvenile. I SO wanted to catch it, but my husband convinced me to leave it be. They don't eat earwigs, I don't know if anything does.

 

[SourPatchSwag]

Ya they are tuff lil buggers!

The Sluggo Plus has already seemed to really drop the population. I was completely overunn but I have seen less around since using it and like i said its all safe for the pets, kids and environment. I need to do some trapping to be sure but i'm pretty sure i've made a dent. The only thing i've seen that eats earwigs is spiders, but they are fucked cuz they come out at night when a lot of the predators are sleeping... I say Sluggo Plus or bust!:party0042::party0042:

 

[motherlode]

earwigs are adult termites? never heard that before

I was watering a baby seedling 4 feet off the the floor on my metal rack and a fucking earwig bailed out

never seen earwigs near my plants - didnt think they were bad for plants

now you got me all freaked out

lol well not really - but Im wondering

 

[OGONLY]

Me either Motherload I never heard earwigs are adult termites. I don't think that is true.

Its crazy though how earwigs can climb inverted on hard plastic. I've never seen it but that is what they would have to do to climb up into my 2x4 tray. I found a couple on different occasions hiding under the pot of a plant in my veg tray.

 

[Badmf]

Earwigs are NOT adult termites, lol. they are earwigs plain and simple. The wet newspaper idea is great as it will attract them during the last of night (they are nocturnal!!) And in the morning simply toss the paper after wrapping it in a plastic bag.:character0029:
DE will work too they do harm plants so rid yourself of them post haste. additionally check http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74102.html Peace Bad...

 

[SourPatchSwag]

They are European Earwigs

Earwigs are deff their own monster! They eat other bugs and plants. So they are good when they are in reasonable number but if you get and infestation like I had they start munching on your babies. The Sluggo Plus is Iron Phosphate (for slugs) and Spinosad (earwigs) which is a natural soil dwelling bacteria that acts as neurotoxin when they eat it. It is OMRI and safe for Pets. I was referring to outdoor infestation inside is a lot more rare unless you have dampness from leaking pipe or something and the DE works could as a deterrent i just had to many. I would pick up a pot and find a dozen + scurrying out. The only reason I figured it out is because everyday I would wake up and find big chunks out of my leaves so finally I went out spotlighting and found the lil bugger munching my leaves. They climbed the plastic pot and everything

 

[Seamaiden]

SPS, what other bugs do earwigs eat? Interestingly enough I used to have one hell of an earwig problem in the basement. Then the frogs came (found another one yesterday hiding under my seedlings that are on top of the perlite hempies, it had changed its skin to match the perlite, I didn't see it for several minutes) and the earwigs disappeared. I don't know if the Pacific tree frogs eat them, maybe they just scare them away, but I appreciated it. Plus, I like frogs.

earwigs are adult termites? never heard that before

I was watering a baby seedling 4 feet off the the floor on my metal rack and a fucking earwig bailed out

never seen earwigs near my plants - didnt think they were bad for plants

now you got me all freaked out

lol well not really - but Im wondering

They're not good if they're in large numbers and if they're around seedlings or very tender plants because even though they're primarily detrivores, they'll still eat anything that's tender enough.

That suddenly reminds me of this one guy who brings back this fish saying that it ate his other fish and he was upset because the first fish was supposed to be an herbivore. #1 Rule of Fish says: If it can fit it in its mouth it's GOING TO EAT IT.

The bit about earwigs being adult termites sounds like a total Amadorism. I hear the stupidest shit from people who've grown up in that county.

 

[greenthumbdanny]

I had them bastards when I was doing some backyard boogie a couple years ago:)They always come out at nite to munch on the plants leafs> I think they could easily munch a plant down in a few days<<I swear I could hear them munching:)I dont know what I hated worse the caterpillars or the earwigs lol>>>Home Depot sells this stuff called 7 dust. I sprinkled a barrier around the stalks>>Works really well to keep them kinda pests at bay


gtd:passingjoint:

 

[BlazinBrian]

they usually hide in dark spots, espiecally in flowers n roses, within the pedal, so when you use your means of control, dont miss a spot