Wild Facts

Photo by L. Jesse

I just realized that it has been awhile since we have done a post about those pesky little insects.  I am surprised by this since I am absolutely fascinated by insects and the incredible behaviours they exhibit. My goal today is to try and convince at least one person that some of the “yuckiest” insects such as the Earwig have some pretty good qualities as well. Stop squirming and continue reading to find out more about this little “pincerbug”.

I am sure a lot of us have had the pleasure to see an earwig up close and personal.  I am not sure how many of us though actually took the time to appreciate and understand this harmless little bug.  Earwigs are often blamed for destroying crops and other foliage.  Although, they do feed on this yummy plant material (well, yummy to them, not to me) they also feed on various insects which are known to cause even more damage to our beloved crops. Personally, I would take the lesser of two evils and utilize the earwigs to protect my valuable resources. I am not saying I would go out and collect 1000′s of earwigs to protect my farm, well unless it was an earwig farm of course!

I am guessing you are still not convinced that the earwig deserves a little bit of appreciation so I will keep trying.  How about this one?  Did you realize that the earwig is one of the few insects that actually cares for its eggs and will watch over the little nymphs until they reach their second molt.  You see most insects just drop their eggs and let them fend for themselves.  That would be equivalent to us dropping our newborn baby in the wild and saying, “Good Luck Little Nathan, I hope you survive”.  I guess this strategy worked for that Jungle Book guy so maybe it isn’t too bad.  Anyway, back to my point!  Yes, the female earwig is a proud mother and will take extreme measures to ensure the safety of her young ones.  If you ask me this is a pretty impressive trait for this heroic insect!

So you still haven’t rushed out to buy the latest Earwig T-Shirt? (could you imagine if they actually had these)  Maybe you will be a little less scared of the earwig after I clear up the myth that they crawl into your ear and bore into your brain.  I can tell you right now that they have better things to do such as caring for their young!

You have to admit that the maternal instinct of the earwig is pretty impressive and unique.  I think they deserve and a little appreciation and I hope you see that now too.

Have a great weekend everyone!!