Earwigs

Zapperzy

Is there some sort of world domination plan orchestrated by them this year?

Bloody things are everywhere downstairs. Opened the dishwasher and one crawled out at me, picked up a dishcloth and there was one hiding in that, opened the sugar bowl and there was one sitting in there (how that one got into the sugar bowl is beyond me as it has a lid and a rubber seal, I conclude that they must have teleportation powers), found 2 underneath the couch, one was in between the placemats on the kitchen table, and countless others in all sorts of places.

Do they build nests like ants?

Horrible creepy looking things. :eek:

skylight1987

after gardening recently was in my car saw something move on the driver seat a giant ear wig, killed him and drove on ,god its hard to even type this , felt something on my forehead put my hand up and grabbed another giant ear wig started screaming, still traumatised

artieanna

Have found them in alsorts of places too in the house, give me the creeps.. every night I find one somewhere in my bedroom... Always out in numbers this time of year.....l

DBB

Aww! They are very maternal insects, which I think merits some respect! They lay eggs under a stone in a damp spot and guard the eggs, and young, until they're big enough to fend for themselves. I don't think thyey have loads of babies though, preferring to have a few and mind them well.
They like damp places and feed on decaying stuff, and prefer to be active at night.
I can't kill earwigs. Or spiders. I can't help but respect them even if they're a bit creepy when they scuttle across the floor. They are gently relocated to the garden if I find them in the house.
I'm pretty sure earwigs have teleportation powers: I think their pincers act as some sort of antennae for the energy transfer to happen. Indeed, if you listen very closely to your sugar bowl, you'll hear little earwiggy voices saying "Beam me up, Scotty"

Zapperzy

Skylight what size were your giant ones? :eek:

Thankfully they don't seem to have mastered climbing the stairs yet so they haven't made it to my bedroom. Glad to know others have a similar problem. Never seen them as bad as this year.

Zapperzy

DBB wrote: »

Aww! They are very maternal insects, which I think merits some respect! They lay eggs under a stone in a damp spot and guard the eggs, and young, until they're big enough to fend for themselves. I don't think thyey have loads of babies though, preferring to have a few and mind them well.
They like damp places and feed on decaying stuff, and prefer to be active at night.
I can't kill earwigs. Or spiders. I can't help but respect them even if they're a bit creepy when they scuttle across the floor. They are gently relocated to the garden if I find them in the house.
I'm pretty sure earwigs have teleportation powers: I think their pincers act as some sort of antennae for the energy transfer to happen. Indeed, if you listen very closely to your sugar bowl, you'll hear little earwiggy voices saying "Beam me up, Scotty"

I can't kill them either, only thing I can kill is wasps, every other insect gets relocated to the very end of the garden or if the cat gets them in the meantime (excellent fly and spider hunter, rubbish earwig hunter) so be it.

Now I even feel a bit guilty relocating them if they've got babies somewhere, but I would prefer if they had there babies outside and stayed outside, there is nothing dead or decaying in my house to eat! :eek:

I'm pretty sure mine were whispering something about crawling in my ears and eating my brain, maybe I have genetically modified earwigs.

DBB

Zapperzy wrote: »

I'm pretty sure mine were whispering something about crawling in my ears and eating my brain, maybe I have genetically modified earwigs.

But... if they have powers of teleportation, maybe they're already in your head without having to go to the trouble of crawling in your ear :eek:
Yep, I'd say that's what happened.

R P McMurphy

One of the most shocking days of my life was when someone told me that they can fly. I have always really hated the sight of them

I don't think they can really fly though, they have little wings and they guide throught the air I think

Pinklady11

I hate the little mutant feckers, have found 2 in the kitchen in the last couple of days. Freak me out. Definitely seems to be a lot of them around, seen a good few in the garden.

borderlinemeath

Zapperzy wrote: »

I can't kill them either, only thing I can kill is wasps, every other insect gets relocated to the very end of the garden or if the cat gets them in the meantime (excellent fly and spider hunter, rubbish earwig hunter) so be it.

Now I even feel a bit guilty relocating them if they've got babies somewhere, but I would prefer if they had there babies outside and stayed outside, there is nothing dead or decaying in my house to eat! :eek:

I'm pretty sure mine were whispering something about crawling in my ears and eating my brain, maybe I have genetically modified earwigs.

I kill the wasps as well, there's a spot outside my back door that's like a wasp cemetery, I think I killed at least 10 today, I'm like a demon because if they fly low enough the dog will get them and she's already been stung by something in her mouth this week:eek:.

I went to put food in her bowl this evening and there was an earwig in it. Sitting there waiting for more nuts! I put it outside but wonder now where the babies are!

Zapperzy

DBB wrote: »

But... if they have powers of teleportation, maybe they're already in your head without having to go to the trouble of crawling in your ear :eek:
Yep, I'd say that's what happened.

In which case your talking to a human possessed by an earwig. :eek: Funnily enough I actually have had a constant headache the last few days. :eek: Now I'm worried.

R P McMurphy wrote: »

One of the most shocking days of my life was when someone told me that they can fly. I have always really hated the sight of them

I don't think they can really fly though, they have little wings and they guide throught the air I think

I didn't realise they possessed any aerobatic abilities. :eek:

mymo

Hadn't seen any of the little feckers until I read the first 3 posts, went to make tea and found one in the kitchen:eek:
They can clearly teleport over the interwebs too :eek::eek::eek:
I'm gonna have to go and check the sugar bowl now(don't take sugar in my tea so didn't look before), then I WILL NOT READ ANOTHER POST ON THIS THREAD!
You have me looking everywhere for them now:o

Zapperzy

borderlinemeath wrote: »

I kill the wasps as well, there's a spot outside my back door that's like a wasp cemetery, I think I killed at least 10 today, I'm like a demon because if they fly low enough the dog will get them and she's already been stung by something in her mouth this week:eek:.

I went to put food in her bowl this evening and there was an earwig in it. Sitting there waiting for more nuts! I put it outside but wonder now where the babies are!

Expect to see a big line of them lined up in the bowl the next day waiting to carry off a big dog nut!

I would happily kill wasps if I could bring myself to get close enough to kill them, I spray from a distance and leg it in the opposite direction and I don't wait around to see did I get him. Best noise ever is when they fly into the blue zapper lights. Worst thing ever is seeing them at work, I probably break every health & safety rule by spraying wasp killer while looking like an idiot running around the shop, then have to balance up the risks to decide whether it's safe to return to the till to serve a customer who is completely oblivious as to why I'm stalking around with a can of spray and have a look of complete terror on my face.

Zapperzy

mymo wrote: »

Hadn't seen any of the little feckers until I read the first 3 posts, went to make tea and found one in the kitchen:eek:
They can clearly teleport over the interwebs too :eek::eek::eek:
I'm gonna have to go and check the sugar bowl now(don't take sugar in my tea so didn't look before), then I WILL NOT READ ANOTHER POST ON THIS THREAD!
You have me looking everywhere for them now:o

I sincerely apologise for teleporting over some of my earwigs to you.

JDxtra

They are all over the garden this year. Found one inside the house for the first time ever - stuck in a small hole at the top of teapot. Nice.

toadfly

Aw lads I feel sick just thinking about them in my house

Rancid

Just grow some Dahlias in your garden, they love them, they'll crawl up the stems and settle in the flowers.

Just remember to NOT bring the flowers indoors.

anniehoo

Completely and utterly OT but my Dad "for the craic" told us when we were younger that these lads really do crawl in your ear.:eek: I know its not true, but still to this day, pull my hair over my ear when i go to sleep Crazytown!

Am very tolerant of insects in general though,interesting little feckers..as long as they're not in mass numbers in my house of course

tk123

skylight1987 wrote: »

after gardening recently was in my car saw something move on the driver seat a giant ear wig, killed him and drove on ,god its hard to even type this , felt something on my forehead put my hand up and grabbed another giant ear wig started screaming, still traumatised

I probably would have jumped out of the car lol!

sensibleken

Earwigs are awesome! who wouldnt want to have a giant claw on their ass.

Intesting earwig fact: the French for earwig is 'perce oreille' which means pierced ear. Joyce played on this in Finnegans wake creating 'The ballad of Perse O'Reilly' a song about rumours and gossip about a man called Earwicker.

Sephiroth_dude

Found one on my stairs last Monday *Shudders*

faceman

Hate them. Echoing above, they have super powers

I'd rather be covered in bees than be covered in earwigs

Any remember the scene in Star Trek II where the bad lads drop a few mutant earwigs in the ears of the goodies and the earwigs eat the brain? *shudder*

Narsil

We had an infestation in our house growing up:(

Eventually we found a nest over our front door and when that was removed our earwig problems vanished,poof:D

yerraya

DBB wrote: »

Aww! They are very maternal insects, which I think merits some respect! They lay eggs under a stone in a damp spot and guard the eggs, and young, until they're big enough to fend for themselves. I don't think thyey have loads of babies though, preferring to have a few and mind them well.
They like damp places and feed on decaying stuff, and prefer to be active at night.
I can't kill earwigs. Or spiders. I can't help but respect them even if they're a bit creepy when they scuttle across the floor. They are gently relocated to the garden if I find them in the house.
I'm pretty sure earwigs have teleportation powers: I think their pincers act as some sort of antennae for the energy transfer to happen. Indeed, if you listen very closely to your sugar bowl, you'll hear little earwiggy voices saying "Beam me up, Scotty"

Ha! I know thats exactly why I feel so guilty when I squash them! I dont mind spiders I usually leave them be or else put them in the garden...but earwigs! :eek:they're a different kettle of fish! If really hope their mother ship comes soon to bring them back to wherever the hell they came from!

I thought I was the only one who had this prob this year as everyone I know seems to have a prob with ants not earwigs......And dont even get me started on the wasps this year either :rolleyes:

Zapperzy

Oh dear mother of god I'm just after recovering from shock. Just went to the bathroom in a sleepy haze, stepped out of the bathroom and stepped on something hard, looked down expecting to see a stone but seen a long black GIANT earwig running away. This thing is massive, about an inch long and jet black and big thick legs and really defined body, big enough to step on and notice him without squashing him! :eek: I took photos but there not great, first glass I grabbed wasn't a clear one so he looks a bit distorted, went to move him to a clear glass but I'm scared to lift the glass now, he moves at some speed. All I can say is thank dog I was wearing socks, I think if I felt that thing on my bare foot I would have screamed the estate awake. Can even hear him scrambling along on the paper beneath the glass. :eek: The 'normal' ones even look cute beside him. :eek:

So be warned they are evolving at an alarming rate and will soon be stealing your babies. And make sure to close your mouth at all times while asleep and cover your ears! I will hold him hostage for tonight and begin negotiations tomorrow morning for the return of our house.

Bizzum

Zapperzy wrote: »

This thing is massive, about an inch long and jet black and big thick legs and really defined body, big enough to step on and notice him without squashing him! :eek:.

Sounds much more like the wonderfully named Devil's Coach-Horse rather than an Earwig.

westies4ever

R P McMurphy wrote: »

One of the most shocking days of my life was when someone told me that they can fly. I have always really hated the sight of them

I don't think they can really fly though, they have little wings and they guide throught the air I think

I'm sorry - they can - went into my kitchen last week and this mad looking huge black thing was buzzing round the window blind. I had no clue what it was but it terrifed the life out of me. Even the dog was hiding behind me. I hit it with a dust pan and it flew down to the counter top and starting crawling around - thats when i realised it was an earwig!

It took a combination of hitting it with the dust pan and a can of fly spray to disable it. Even when it was cut in half it was still moving!! Scared the life out of me.

Sorry if that sounds barbaric but i am TERRIFIED of them - it started when I was younger and I got one in my hair - couldnt get it out and it clung on with its claws. completely traumatised and hysterical - my dad had to cut the hair to get it out.

westies4ever

Bizzum wrote: »

Sounds much more like the wonderfully named Devil's Coach-Horse rather than an Earwig.

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: I had never heard of that before - just googled it - I will never sleep again!!!!!!!!

Zapperzy

Bizzum wrote: »

Sounds much more like the wonderfully named Devil's Coach-Horse rather than an Earwig.

That's it exactly. Lovely so as well as earwigs and giant spiders I have these yolks, horrible looking things and not what I want to see at 1 in the morning. :eek:

faceman

Has anyone picked up and felt an earwig? Especially their back? It's manky. They have an usual texture compared to other insects.

geuro

For thos who think the old story about earwigs burrowing into your ears is a myth, I beg to differ. Posted this a couple of years ago..

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=62100081&postcount=3