growing a sunflower house, need help IDing pest eating the leaves

13 years ago

Hi all,

I've recently transplanted some mammoth sunflower seedlings into a patch of ground that was only until recently covered in dandelion and couch grass.

I'm new to gardening and could do with some help since I've begun noticing holes on the sunflower leaves. Following some of the advice from people who have had similar problems, I checked the leaves for signs of bugs this afternoon, and again early this evening. What I found was several bugs crawling on the leaves in the early evening. They looked like termites/ants with enlarged heads, were about 1/2 inch long, brown/black and had these two tail-like things sticking out from the back(could be the last pair of legs). I've looked at several websites with pictures of common pests but have had no luck identifying these insects. Any clues?

Also, i'm planning on growing cucumbers and corns with the sunflowers, with nasturtium and german camomile around the perimeter. Is this a good planting combination?

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Comments (4)

oilpainter
13 years ago
EARWIGS. Those are not legs but pincers. They feed mostly at night and hide away in cracks and garden debris in the day time.

First clean up any places where they can take cover in the day time. Next take a plastic water or pop bottle. Remove the lid and cut the top off of the bottle where it straightens out. I like to cut the bottle down a bit too, but leave room for them to get past the funnel. Mix up an earwig solution--recipe to follow. Put the solution in the bottle and invert the top into the bottle so it looks like a funnel inside the bottle and tape it on. Then bury it in the ground near your sunflowers so there is only a bit sticking out. The earwigs crawl down the funnel looking for a place to hide and maybe eat because of the bait and can't get out because of the oil, the salt in the soy sauce kills them too.

Some also use yogurt cups but you must have a lid to keep the rain out and some way for them to get in.

Recipe--equal parts of molasses, cooking oil, and soy sauce. It may take a few days for it to work because it works better when it's rancid. Some use the oil from tuna or sardines. Check your traps every few days and empty them. Bugs tend to keep away if they scent their own kind dead.
someonetookmooman
Original Author
13 years ago
thanks for the ID and help! they are indeed earwigs!
i read your solution several times but i'm not too sure what you're suggesting i do with the bottle. do you have link to a picture?
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
13 years ago
If you google 'earwig traps', you'll come up with all kinds of suggestions, some of which may be more appealing to you. Try several in your garden area. Seems like I used a dampened, folded newspaper one time and found that to be very successful.
someonetookmooman
Original Author
13 years ago
thanks, both of you.
i've read a little more about earwig traps from the forum and the net and will probably be going with a beer trap(finally, a use for a ruined saucepan).

growing a sunflower house, need help IDing pest eating the leaves

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oilpainter

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growing a sunflower house, need help IDing pest eating the leaves

Comments (4)

oilpainter

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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

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someonetookmooman
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