In my home orchard which includes 5 apple, 7 peach/nectarine and 3 cherry trees, my main insect problem is aphids on the apple trees and earwigs on the peach/nect and cherry.
The earwigs cause a lot of damage to the cherries and peach/nectarine but I’ve read that they eat aphids.
What do you do, wipe them out or live with them?
Aphids (larvae and adults) are very weak insects. I spray with a pyrethrin when they 1st appear on apple. If ants are bringing them then I also treat for ants in the tree basin.
I’ve never had trouble with earwigs on my fruit trees.
I haven’t yet had an earwig apocalypse year while the fruit trees are bearing. It’s coming though. 2017 was a terrible year for them here, they were everywhere. We got rain almost every day in spring and summer, and it didn’t get very hot. When it happens again, I plan on putting a barrier on the tree trunks with Tanglefoot smeared on it, to see if that helps. I usually spritz water mixed with a biodegradable soap for aphids.
Earwigs can be very dangerous to humans.
Aphid toting ants are a big thing here. Once spotted I put a ring of Vaseline around the lower trunk. Then spray the infected spot. I’d guess earwigs would not crawl through the grease either. Any really thick food grade grease would work.
I live in Italy so I can’t get the same products as you but I found Vitax fruit tree grease which they say can be put directly on the tree instead of on a band.
Others like tanglefoot it says not to put directly on the tree. I wonder if tanglefoot is stronger or works better. I can’t buy tanglefoot here
Yep, I could see why one wouldn’t want to apply Tanglefoot directly. It is wickedly sticky stuff. Sounds like Vitax is easier to work with. I have mostly used Tanglefoot near garden plants that attract flea beetles, but have recently found that wood ash seems to be a better deterrent, and it doesn’t trap pollinators.
what do I do about earwigs? you mean besides grumble? they are pesky for sure. kind if the ferrets of the insect world: if theres an opening, they want to go inside and check it out. they eat everything too. usually theyre just a nuisance
A lot of my peaches had earwigs inside. It’s pretty unappetizing
Where is the ewwwww button?