Over run with earwigs

[Firefly]

I have also discovered them snout first in the cells on the frames with uncapped honey on.....which suggests they are attracted to the cell contents ?

I've also been told by an entomologist friend that they CAN bite - though it's non-venomous. There are sites on the web telling you how to treat earwig bites (so it must be true )

"European earwigs feed at night on the foliage of various flowers and garden plants. Most species prey on other insects and supplement their diet with decaying organic matter found in soil or garbage. In addition to consuming aphids, beetle larvae, and maggots, earwigs also eat seeds of grain"

You can see why the bees might be a bit suspicious

 

[huntsman666]

I guessed but I thought I would give it a go. Its seed from a pink lady apple. Its the same with the Mulberry, cuttings to ensure same flavour of fruit, but from seed to avoid passing on tree specifics failings.

The mulberry is Morus Nigra (think thats how its spelt) and in the place we rent there is a beautiful 7 year old tree. Reallly gnarled and the fruit is enormous. I had never seen one before we moved here. If I could dig up that one I would.

No harm experimenting but did you know your excellent and famous Bramley apple was the result of a little girl planting an apple seed of unknown parents?

You might be famous;

 

[JamezF]

We seem to have earwigs everywhere this year. I shall evict them from the hives as far as possible when I do the oxalic acid treatment and hopefully the cold will then take care of them.

James

 

[jimbeekeeper]

that's probably why I don't see them in my hives, No gaps, Solid floors, reduced entrances

Sound like you have a very good tight hive there if no earwigs can get in....how do you bees get in?

 

[Firefly]

No harm experimenting but did you know your excellent and famous Bramley apple was the result of a little girl planting an apple seed of unknown parents?

You might be famous;

But a shame to start with a modern (1970s) Australian apple that is a Golden Delicious cross

How about Cornish Gillyflower "discovered in a garden in Truro, Cornwall in about 1800". If you visit http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardens/News/Old-Cornish-apples-revived you could probably scrounge a couple

 

[tonybloke]

3. Hand soap and water mix (think it's one cap full of fairy liquid to 10 of water but you'd have to check. A lot of garden websites suggest this sprayed in your plants as a nature friendly control. However it does not work unless you spray it direct onto the earwig. As this breaks down the coating on their carapace and they then dehydrate. Just spraying plants in the hope it will catch them at a later date will not work effectively.*

you need to use soap ( the stuff that comes in bars, not liquid)
rgds, Tony

 

[tonybloke]

Sound like you have a very good tight hive there if no earwigs can get in....how do you bees get in?

through the reduced entrance, they can defend this from earwigs (and wasps)

 

[geebee]

earwigs

Loads in my hives on I o W

 

[milkermel]

put extracted frames back into the hive and found dozens of the little crawleys all head first into the frames, either they thought it was like those japanease nap rooms or they were stealing the left overs. I havent had much problem actually in the main part of the hive, but there are certainly a few around

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

3. Hand soap and water mix (think it's one cap full of fairy liquid to 10 of water but you'd have to check. A lot of garden websites suggest this sprayed in your plants as a nature friendly control. However it does not work unless you spray it direct onto the earwig. As this breaks down the coating on their carapace and they then dehydrate. Just spraying plants in the hope it will catch them at a later date will not work effectively.*

but be careful as this is also an efficient way of killing bees