I know it's probably the wrong time of year for earwigs........but i can't honestly remember the last time i saw one ,used to see them everywhere, even in the house.

This has been bothering me for months,have they become extinct? or endangered? maybe i'm looking in the wrong places,but i can't recall seeing one for years.

Has anybody seen one recently?

There was an article in one of the sunday papers about a woman who had an earwig in her head! it had buried itself in. :o

They are all hiding in my cellar. Honest - they got that hungry cos of this cold they came inside and ate the mice.

There did not seem to be that many ladybirds around this year either. Come to think of it - there did not seem to be as many ants, bees, wasps, beetles ... The only thing that seems to have increased in number are spiders.

Maybe the spiders have eaten everything else and that is why the earwigs are hiding in my cellar.

Anyone know the answers to any of these life threatening enigmas - let us know.

Dragon

Seen loads of ladybirds,well not these last few weeks but saw loads this summer.....now you mention it there was a distinct lack of wasps this year,not complaining i hate wasps........whats going on? :suspect:

Well the ants were doing very well down in the foxhole. I found them sending out a recon mission to my kitchen for supplies. :mad:

Cut them off at the pass with some nifty ant powder border control

Swap you - some of my earwigs for some of your ants. And hows about some spiders in exchange for a few ladybirds?

We could start up our own insect swap shop.

Dragon

Im fine for spiders thanks very much. They have a nice boarding house situation going on in my hallway.

Got some woodlice if your interested :D

It's just earwigs i'm after..........got spiders,woodlouse, ladybirds........the earwig is my holy grail :D

Found some little black beetles that have come in out of the cold but too fat and stumpy to be earwigs surely ;)

Originally posted by fox20thc
There was an article in one of the sunday papers about a woman who had an earwig in her head! it had buried itself in. :o

I think thats an urban myth - the name earwig arrose because of the superstition that earwigs crawl into the ears of sleeping persons and bore into the brain!

Were are what i used to call silverfish i used to find them under the carpet under the fire.

Originally posted by AKITA
Were are what i used to call silverfish i used to find them under the carpet under the fire.
Saw my first ever silver fish earlier this year,very strange things......almost fish like and silver :D

Now about those earwigs.......

We have a silver fish who seems to live in our shower tray - but only when you go to the loo at night. Funny little thing it is.

As for Earwigs - we sometimes get them near the privet - but spiders we've got a plenty - I found a nest of them recently - behind a skirting board in the hallway - perhaps it was a staging post for an invasion as we've had a load this year and so cocky too.

:D

I bought my own, These were a snip (http://www.worth1000.com/entries/64000/64198AgIE_w.jpg) :hihi:

Reckon this cold may have something to do with it. Hope it does not turn into flu or the birds may vanish as well.

Not even a spider around at the moment. Plenty of frozen slugs on the garden this morning - look a bit like an assortment of wine gums. Don't taste like wine gums though.

What's the going rate for earwigs as opposed to ladybirds?

Dragon

There were a few earwigs in my garden over the summer months. I'd be happy to swap for some sparrows. The cats seem to have killed all the little things off in and around my area.

Last one i saw was at the end of october on a church wall in the dark in norfolk.... :D


please don't ask why i was looking at a church wall in norfolk in the dark.... :suspect:

I had one walking across my kitchen floor this morning , (it didn't walk for long though, my dogs soon saw to that) but I am in Spain. Maybe they have all emigrated!!

You can have the sparrows that have taken up permanent residence in my loft - and then I may be rid of the pretty smears of stuff all down my bedroom window - on the outside and caused by the sparrows - before anyone gets wise.

Don't want any more earwigs, but I'll trade you my centipedes for your spiders.

Dragon

I have some bats! Anyone want any bats.. cute little pipestrels cuties (http://www.jwaller.co.uk/batgroup/images/pipistrelle/pipcompare.jpg)

I found a lone earwig a couple of months ago making its way along the skirting board and did wonder where it came from... its friends havent been looking for it though.

I think earwig season is August and September. I remember this as when I was a kid our caravan was always mobbed with them in the evening at that time of year.

If you want to attract them, put a stick in your garden and put an inverted flower pot with screwed up paper in on top of the stick. They will collect in the pot in the evenings in late summer. If you are cruel and want rid of them, follow the old gardeners trick and set fire to the paper!

Flowers like dahlias attract earwigs!