Earwigs in my roof

[REDWOOD]

Anyone know how to get rid of earwigs in my roof, they do not seem to affect the bees but they annoy the hell out of me

 

[alanf]

Traditional earwig trap is a flower pot of straw, upside down on a cane. You stick them among plants the earwigs infest. A show dahlia grower neighbour yeas ago used them. Periodically chuck the straw on the bonfire. Not sure how you'd entice them out of a hive roof but it could reduce the local population.

 

[REDWOOD]

I was thinking of that stick fly tape inside the roof

 

[Erichalfbee]

Earwigs/Bumbles/Bees....all insects, all have a place. If they're not bothering the bees can you live with them?

 

[louisboy]

same

i have had earwigs in the roof of my hive for ages the only thing that worked was changing the lid and quickly blow torching the old one lol

 

[VEG]

leave the feed hole open a little

 

[REDWOOD]

leave the feed hole open a little

would that be enough so if the earwigs went down the bees would have them ?

 

[VEG]

I had trouble with ants and earwigs lol. I now leave a big enough hole so that the bees can get above crown board and dont have problems with either now.

 

[Peterwh]

I leave the feed hole open all the time and the earwigs and bees seem to cohabits quite amicably.

 

[Polyanwood]

I am pleased to see earwigs because that means that thre aren't wood lice and they are worse.

 

[The Cumbrian]

thre aren't wood lice and they are worse.

Why are woodlice worse than earwigs.

 

[flemage]

I seem to have the lot.

earwigs, woodlice, slugs, snails, massive spiders but mainly earwigs and woodlice.

I have left the feeding hold open at all times (from reading the fourm thinking i should now close these off). I havent realy taken the time to notice if its either earwigs or wood lice or both at the same time i just bang the up turned roof and knock them out.

I dont like them in the hive but am not realy botherd the only thing i take the time to kill is wasps if they are in robbing mode.

 

[oliver90owner]

Why are woodlice worse than earwigs.

I would say - humidity difference at hive top - it will tend to be more damp for woodlice, but that is purely a guess as I get earwigs but not woodlice.

If the cover board is secure (fitting well and no gaping holes), there is no real problem with a few sheltering (or even living) in the roof - as they cannot access the hive from there, anyway.

Flemage, you have slugs and snails in your roof? You need better fitting roofs, I would suggest. Certainly wasps should not even get a chance to enter a hive via the roof!

RAB

 

[flemage]

Yup better fitting roof's would be good made some up my self

However the slugs and snails dont realy make it into the hive just under the roof lip. There is oftern an unfortunate crunching sound when i remove the roof.

Wasps are the only thing i kill they go for the main entrance

 

[Nose Ma]

We had some copper slug tape left over, and I stuck it around the hive stand's legs. No more slugs. Before they'd climb around the hive but do no apparent damage (you could see the slime trail next day).
Now I just hope nobody nicks the hive stand to get the copper...