I have never noticed these around here before - never saw one before in my life. But I have seen them on my Brugmansias and some of my other plants. Are these eating on my plants? Or do these eat the bad bugs? What are they called? I tried to take a close-up, but got mostly concrete. If you look closely it's in the center of the photo. Black and orange.
It's a ladybug larva :o) Don't kill them... they eat aphids and other soft bodied pest.... a very good bug!
I don't get to see them very often around here. The first time I saw one, Karrie, I was like you. I wondered if they were a good bug or a bad one. It's hard to imagine them changing into a ladybug, isn't it?
oh thank you thank you thank you! I was also thinking possibly that it was an aphid lion, possibly - one of my garden books had a drawing of one that looked "similar". I will keep these keepers happy! Anything I should put around to keep them around?
They'll find their own food. I think the momma's usually lay they eggs near an abundant food source.
Ya know, I have seen alot more ladybugs this year than I normally do, so maybe that is why I noticed them this time. It is strange that they are bigger than the ladybug. I'd, for some reason, always thought the larves were smaller than the adult bug.
BTW - I want to thank you Susan for everything you have given me to get me off to a good start in my garden last year and this year as well. The daylily seeds you gave me last year, germinated and are starting their second year and looking great - should get some very nice blooms. The California Poppy has found a wonderful home in my front garden, and the cuttings you gave me of the brugs were a godsend! Thank you so much! I always tell Russ you are one of my favorite garden people from Daves. :-)
ok - what about Earwigs? I've been seeing alot of them on my brugs as well. They tend to hover down in the top middles.
Get rid of them as quick as you can. They will eat the growth point and you will have to wait longer for bloom. I've not had to fight them yet, so I can't tell you how to fight them.
Earwigs are bad Karrie. They will eat the tender new growth at the top of the Brug. They ruined many of my seedlings last year.
I'm fighting earwigs also along with the snails/slugs.
I just sprayed Malathion on the earwigs this afternoon. They are SO bad here this year! I tipped every pot I have, and sprayed them good, got a big juicy grub too.
Shelly, I'm finding lots of those grubbies when I dig holes.
LOL Ada! They are so gross!
Oh i feed the grubs to the birds lol, well I throw them by the feeders when I find them anyway
O.K. do you all know what these bugs are. Is second time I have found them on my Sycamore trees by the base. Couldn't squat any closer to get a better pic. I tried blowing it up 200% and still couldn't see the adults well enough. They move as a swarm when they move around
Hi Karrie, What a coincidence. I, too, have noticed the same bug (I've never seen them before either) on my Brugs the last two or three day. I keep flicking them off. Good to know they are helpful. Donna W
Donna B, where is the bug? The first thing that I saw was the tip of the black caricatures. That is what I thought you meant. Was going to tell you they fell out of one of the kids cartoons.
Jeanette
This message was edited Jun 16, 2005 9:48 PM
"Get Rid of Them as Soon as You Can"? You mean the Earwigs I hope?
They don't die easily. I found a swarm of them earlier this year and glad I soaked them with a good spray of Malathion. I've just never seen these this bad - and eating at my bud possibles? they are DEAD MEAT now! Not sure how they got so bad, never saw that before, so bad either. But nobody touches my brugs. Nobody. I hope the Neem I'm using, that kills larve and eggs as well gets them.
They predicted a bad bug year this year. I'm trying to stay on top of it. When I see an earwig on my plants, I flick it off and then stomp on it. Not sure how helpful that is, but I'm trying my best.
So these are the derned culprits? Trust me, I will take care of them immediately. We will kill them. I hate that word, but when necessary, I will form an army.
Karrie, YES- this is a bad year for those pests. Such a mild winter and every pest is out and about eating.
Donna, It's hard to tell by your photo and I understand not being able to get a close up. I have no idea what the black things are. I think if I'm seeing right you might be asking about the light grey things. Just a Guess but they might be Pill Bugs, rolly pollies, sowbugs.... So many different names. LOL Here this might help
http://www.backyardnature.net/1000legs.htm
I just wanted to add this. Hope no one takes me wrong. I like having the lady bugs in the garden and they sure do help us out. But once you spray to kill another pest you will also kill the Lady bugs. I have always tried not to use harsh chemicals but I know how difficult it is to get rid of some. This year I have had to break down and use some for those persistent Pests!
Here is an alternative to chemicals and I will be breif on this. I use this for the earwigs and pillbugs.
We have our newspapers deliver in plastic bags. I use them to roll up some loose damp newpaper then place them down by the base of the plant. The earwigs will use this as a home for the daylight hours for hiding until the next night. If you place a small amount of wet cat food or tuna fish you will attract a lot more. BEWARE you also attract racoons and cats.....LOL
In the morning you collect the bags and place them in a large trash bag. In the large trash bag place some newspaper and spray it with your favorite Insect killer. Tie the bag up so it's air tight and it will kill the beasts.
I know this is not a method for everyone to use but just one way for those who don't like using chemicals. If you do this for a couple of weeks you can make a big dent in the population.
I want to report that Neem does not appear to kill or even repel earwigs at all. I don't get newspaper delivery but perhaps I can rig something similar to put in the potted plants to attract the earwigs away from the tender top growth. They're not just eating the brug leaves into "lace" but also have stripped the parsley and are making nasty earwig nests in the lettuce. EEEwwww.
I've read in past years that if you place a piece of bamboo or maybe an 18 inch section of old garden hose on the ground in your flower beds, they will use those to climb into to sleep. Just pick it up and dump it into a jar or tin can. If they are there they will fall out and then you can dispose of them the best way possible. I've never tried it since we haven't had a problem with them. This may be the year.
GGK the black things are the adults and the gray are the immature. If see them again I will use the other camera with more zoom
I hated using the Malathion, but they were getting so bad. Last year I sprayed EVERYWHERE at night, while they were out. I did not like not having the ladybugs around, so this year I thought I would spray during the day, and only under my pots. I will have to try the newspaper trick. Thank you GGK.
LOL Shirley... I hope they dont come your way.
LOL! Yes, Karrie, get rid of the bugs.
Oh, dear, I have something eating the tops outta my seedlings, I was gone two days and returned to it, I have not seen any bugs, will Bayer 3 in 1 stop them or Bayer Tree and Shrub?? When do you most often see the earwigs???
I belive earwigs hide during the day when it is hot. I found them under my pots where it was moist and cool. Nasty critters.
Shirley is right they hide during the day. That is also a great idea with the garden hose. I will give that a try also. Thanks Shirley.
Sherry, at night when the brugs close up their leaves and go into the sleeping position they crawl into the center and eat the tender new growth. This is a nice spot for them to do the damage that you might be having done by them.
Thanks, Kin, I do have that type damage and I've spent considerable time searching for the culprit and the only thing I've found are leaf rollers which I believe migrated from my thornless blackberries. I've found 4 tops rolled and once I removed the worm and cleaned up the top, they've been fine. But, I have some that could be burned from too much of something or possibly the leaves were eaten by this earwig bug. Does the earwig eat the leaves and leave the stem bald?? That's all I need, whew...
Yesterday I had a leaved that was curled up real tigh and looked odd. I removed it, I don't know why, then I looked inside it and there was a green worm in it. Does anyone know what that could have been.
Linda
leaf roller. I have them too, they got to my plants via my thornless blackberry bushes. I've been told that removal and death by smashing is about the best way to go. There is something called BT that will do it, but it's a spray and I'm trying to stay away from sprays and I'd have to order it anyway. There is a forum called 'garden foes' and a person named 'night' has lots of good stuff...real nice, helpful guys over there...oh, I started a thread on that forum where I had the leaf roller identified, but I don't remember the name of the thread...good luck!!!!!
Oooops, sorry 2pug, et al, I'd already said almost the same thing here above your post, but you are describing exactly what i have...
Earlier this spring, I came about a "hatching" of baby earwigs - HUNDREDS of them. It, of course scared me a little, or more like freaked me out, because I was down on my knees, getting ready to pull some weeds and prepare a garden space for some plants. Suddenly they were crawling on my arms - yuck! I know this sounds bad, because many people hate to use the chemicals, but I mix a gallon of the malathion plus up, and keep my trusty green bottle full and ready when needed. I washed off my hands with the hose first, then grabbed my green bottle and sprayed the dickens out of them.
Now I am very glad that I did. If I'd not destroyed that huge family, lord only knows what I'd have on my hands now. They don't die easy, either. You have to really soak them with the poison.
I am seeing fewer and fewer of them now, thank goodness, because I have been keeping a close eye out for them, and kill them as soon as I find them. I never knew they were such a terrible bug. What ARE they good for anyways?
