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Re: earwigs

frances howey wrote:
> 
> This has been a very dry summer here in southeast Canada (Ontario) and the
> earwigs I have seen were clustered deep down among the kniphofia leaves
> where it is damp and in narrow cracks in the bird bath - neither "host"
> appears to suffer from their presence.  However, I usually try to squish the
> more obvious ones with my finger - ugh!  Fran
> 
Frances 
A few years ago my reaction would have been the same as yours (ie the
tendency to squish), but as both I and my  now strictly organic garden
become more mature I am more and more resisting this instinctive
reaction to any creature I find living in the garden. This is  not mere
sentiment,  but done for the following reasons (using the earwig as an
example):-
(1) If the creature is doing no obvious immediate harm (as in the case
of these earwigs apparently) it is more use to the ecosystem alive than
dead.  Anything which reduces the system's probably already-stressed
diversity without real cause is to be deplored.
(2) The earwigs may be food for some other garden inhabitant (such as a
frog or toad, for instance) and you are therefore very probably reducing
the available food for your good friends.
(3) Earwigs are quite omnivorous and if left alone may contribute to
keeping some less desirable species in check. (Earwigs are known to eat
codling moth caterpillars, for instance, and probably like other
caterpillars as well).

As my garden ecosystem has become more diverse and my soil heathier, I
find less and less need to intervene even with such species as aphids.
With these I now get only very small infestations as a rule, and nearly
always they disappear quite naturally (inside some predator, no doubt)
within a day or two. Should the colony persist and begin to get out of
hand I would then resort to reducing the numbers with a water jet.
Fortunately, the few ants I have in my garden apprently have no interest
in aphids and don't try to put them back on the plants!

Moira
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand
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