From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Simi valley, ca

I have many earwigs & also rolly pollys or pill bugs, just wondered if they are bad or good ?? I havent seen them on pumpkins yet ! but many in the area !!Anyone know ?? thanks!

6/7/2005 12:25:01 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

They're fine, won't hurt a thing...

6/7/2005 6:30:38 AM

Rexburg, Idaho (brianchristensenmd@gmail.com )

I hate ear wigs! Kill em all

6/7/2005 8:28:09 AM

Chico, Ca

Earwigs are not fine... They trashed one of my 758.5 backup plants and an artichoke near by. Pillbugs were never a problem but earwigs are going to be very bad in california this year.

6/7/2005 8:48:48 AM

Chico, Ca

Oh by trashed I mean they ate it down by at least 50% overnight at 4th true leaf stage. It was covered with over 100 of them.

6/7/2005 8:50:43 AM

Butler, Ohio

Earwigs suck!! We found out the hard way when we planted giant Dahlias the firs year we moved here. They ate them to pieces!!

6/7/2005 8:18:57 PM

Vancouver, White Rock, Canada

I can't stand earwigs. I kill every one I see. I have pill bugs galore in my patch, and I was told that it's a good thing, as they help consume decaying plant matter. They rarely touch healthy green stuff. They did eat the dying cot leaves off one of my plants, but other than that, they've left the pumpkins alone...

6/8/2005 12:21:42 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

Just what are ya'll meaning by "earwigs"?

6/8/2005 1:09:34 AM

Butler, Ohio

long skinny brownish colored bugs with a set of pinchers on their butt

6/8/2005 5:44:03 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Earwigs are on an outdoor gardeners list of cockroach like bothersome list here in the Northeast.

6/8/2005 6:44:20 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

I had something completely different in mind when I was thinking of the "earwigs", and with the cute little "rollie-pollies"...I didn't realize those earwigs could cause so much damage! I thought they were the millipede looking bugs?
Learn something new every day, thanks!

6/8/2005 7:11:06 AM

Oz

why are they named earwig?

6/8/2005 9:10:47 AM

Follansbee, Wv

Earwig info, including why they are called earwigs.

http://www.ento.csiro.au/Ecowatch/Insects_Invertebrates/dermaptera.htm

6/8/2005 5:08:07 PM

Chico, Ca

A great chemical free method of killing them (earwigs)is to
get a couple of boards several feet long and nail them together face to face. duplex nails are the best to use. pry them apart about 1/16" to 1/8" and lay it on the ground near them.... come back the next day and with it on the ground nail it shut.. they love to hide in dark cracks. squashes em, works very well. now the morbid part... pry it apart and throw it back down they are caniballistic so more will come and feed on their dead friends.... come back next day and repeat the nailing and prying apart and throw it back down...and they will still keep coming

6/10/2005 8:43:53 AM

Chico, Ca

Oh, do yourself a favor and make sure the pointed nail ends are poking down into to soil. Puncture wounds are bad news...

6/10/2005 8:46:26 AM

Long Island,New York

wrap up yesterdays newspaper just like it was thrown by the paperboy and place in area where problems are..they go in to hide/party/ and feed on the cellulose...pick up every couple days and toss out wrapped in the plastic bag the paper was wrapped in.....or a bread bag...etc

6/10/2005 11:18:22 AM

White Plains, NY

Both seem to be great ideas. Glenn (LIpumpkin)is the winner though as it's less labor intensive and I have plenty of extra newspapers. I'm thinking many pests will like to live in a damp rolled up newspaper.

6/10/2005 1:23:02 PM

Sort of Sunny Sometimes, WA

Yeah, earwigs will like that rolled up newspaper all right if it's anything like a rolled up window shade. (Which it is). I was spending the night in my parent's guestroom and decided to pull down the shade and about 40 million earwigs came raining down on me. I really hate earwigs. Kill 'em.

6/18/2005 2:35:04 PM