Re: PESTS (earwigs)
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: PESTS (earwigs)
- From: E* G* <e*@moose.ncia.net>
- Date: Tue, 9 Sep 1997 09:17:54 -0600 (MDT)
> Gigantic Texas grasshoppers have been running uncorraled in this
>area all summer, grazing on everything in sight. They are even in the LA
>bog and are chewing on those rhizomes too, especially nasty when they
>leave their 'tobacco spit' on a rhizome I am digging. In a nearby garden
>these grasshoppers have invaded hosta beds and devoured them.
Walter,
Our little grasshoppers don't bother anything up here...too busy
trying to keep warm. :)
We do have one pain in the neck pest that I haven't seen mentioned
on the list...earwigs...they don't 'eat' that much but nest in the
bearded and Siberians. When building their so-called nests, they chew
through the bottom of the fans on the ground and hang out there during
the day. This is on the bearded iris...with the Siberians, they can
get in to the center where it is cool and while away the day and mate
and sleep or whatever they do all day long. They are nocturnal
little
uglies. I do kill them...my respect for life has limits as far as
these bugs are concerned.
Still trying to figure out a non-toxic way to combat them besides
squishing..they have hard shells..gack..
They tend to gravitate toward established irises notably TBs and SIs.
It seems that they compromise the TBs right at ground level and their
little oval chewing holes are very prominent. I thought that just
green-based bearded were invaded but I saw an SDB with PBF with
the tell-tale marks yesterday. You have no choice but to pull off
the selected fans (they look pristine and perfect) and they come off
readily since the nasties have chewed through two or three fans. When
you do, the earwig (s) come dashing out from their iris caves and you
have to be quick to catch them. This may be the female nest-builder or
a earwig bordello for all I know.
I dug up SIGN OF VIRGO, which had sustained the most damage, and the
rhizome was OK at least for now. They stay away from the little ones
and only favor certain TBs...no historics, BTW.
No borers anywhere I look and no one that grows bearded or Siberians
up here has ever been bothered with them as far as I can tell.
It may be too cold in Zones 3 and 2 for them. We do have moths but
they are usually brownish not white. I see them at night when I
patrol the garden with my flashlight trying to catch the earwigs.
Ellen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellen Gallagher \ e_galla@moose.ncia.net \ Lancaster, New Hampshire,USA
USDA Zone 3a \ Northern White Mountains\ AIS Region 1 {New England}
