
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, June 24, 1990                   TAG: 9006250316
SECTION: HOMES                    PAGE: B-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: John K. Arbogast Agriculture Extension Agent for Roanoke
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Long

PESTY EARWIGS THRIVE IN MOIST AREAS

Q: The earwigs are terrible this year. My question: Why are we deluged with this pest that is worse than termites? (Even the name sounds terrible.) We first noticed them three years ago under straw where we had planted grass and then under trimmings of leaves on the ground. A neighbor said they don't eat wood but I say they do! They have made the bottom of my fence posts spongy where they have eaten it for a home. I have a lattice screened porch; they get in to the edges of the lattice and screen. They love the basement windows with screens where they make a home around the edge of the screens. They come out at night and get on the back porch. They have eaten into cracks of treated lumber around the rosebushes.

I'm thankful for the birds because they go across the lawn seeking them out. Never in my 68 years have I seen such an insect pest.

I have had success against earwigs and found a way to save a lot on insecticides. Mix up a big batch of Ivory liquid dish detergent suds. Keep a window cleaner spray bottle filled with it. Spray at the bottom of your fence posts and everywhere you see evidence of earwigs. This miserable insect drops dead from the Ivory liquid. Everyone should get to work on this pest. W.D., Roanoke

A: I'm sure that most people have seen earwigs this spring, although maybe some didn't know that's what they were. Earwigs are beetle-like insects that are flattened and have long antennae and a special identifying feature, forceps-like appendages (pincers) at the tail end. Those pincers look very dangerous but are harmless since they don't pinch. There are different species of earwigs, up to 1 1/2 inches long.

Earwigs are linked to dampness. The wet weather we had in 1989 was the reason these insects were so numerous last year. The rainy May might explain why we're finding so many of them now. They are not listed as a wood-destroying insect. They are primarily scavengers, feeding on dead insects and rotted plant materials, although some species are predators and others feed on living plants. Earwigs can occur in mulch, such as your pine nuggets, or under any flat surface that provides moisture and protection, which they need.

Your non-chemical method for killing earwigs utilizes soap to kill insects on non-food plants, which some organic gardeners use. An important non-chemical control measure against earwigs is to remove items around the house that provide them damp shelter - for example, excessive mulch or peeling bark on firewood logs.

There is no easy method for eliminating earwigs. Once those around the house are controlled, more can move in.

Q: My granddaughter lives in the country. Her garden and yard are full of these little white things that look like snails; they're probably called slugs. I would like to know where they come from and what she can use to get rid of them. They are eating her flowers and her strawberries. Also, I would like to know when is a good time to trim and fertilize azaleas. N.M., Roanoke

A: Slugs are like snails without shells. They come from damp areas and may become numerous where there is moist shelter that they can get under during hot, sunny days. Thus, one important non-chemical control measure is to eliminate all things that provide damp hiding spots, such as piles of lumber, excessive mulch, and the kinds of shelter that earwigs might also like. A popular non-chemical slug control is to put out shallow pans, such as old pie pans, filled with beer on the ground level around plants the slugs are feeding on at night. These work as a trap to lure the slugs; they cannot get out of the pans.

Insecticides won't help. Apply snail and slug bait to the soil around target plants. This product is available at garden departments. For the strawberries or other garden plants, use only the bait that states on the package that it can be used around edible plants.

Azaleas should be pruned if needed right after the blooms fade, since new growth that follows pruning will need to mature before August in order to make the beginnings of flower buds for the next spring. Azaleas can also be fertilized in the spring, so that the nutrients will benefit new growth, and the growth will be able to get firm before the cold weather of fall.

Got a question about your garden, lawn, plants, or insects? Write to Dear John, c/o the Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010. GARDENER'S CHECKLIST Hot, dry weather brings out the red spider mites. Inspect roses, evergreens, and marigolds, especially, for signs of pale green coloration. Hold a white sheet of paper underneath some foliage and briskly tap it. Tiny, crawling mites will drop to the paper if they are present. Severely infested annual plants may be removed from the garden and destroyed. Others should be chemically treated. If infestation is light, mites may be discouraged by direct spray from a water hose.

Pick vegetables as they mature and weed regularly; overripe vegetables and weeds use precious moisture and reduce production.

Snap bean flowers fail to develop because of daytime temperatures above 90 degrees F.

Continue to cut faded flowers from "ever blooming" roses to encourage more blooming. Make each cut just above a five-leaflet leaf.

by CNB