Earwigs....

Mine have always had them. I've never noticed any issues.

I haven't seen any recently, but in April and May I saw a lot of them. I don't know of anything negative except I don't like earwigs.

Phil

Haven't seen them in my hives but around them. Glad this isn't an issue

I've seen this thread before, and the general consensus was that they are harmless, but have painful sting.

bees seem to coexist with ants, ear wigs, roaches, spiders, etc. without too much ill effect as long as the hive is reasonable strong.

Chemguy said:

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That's not an earwig - that's a PINCHERBUG!

I have them too, and enjoy the hunt when I see one.

Jackam said:

That's not an earwig - that's a PINCHERBUG!

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Yes, it is a common earwig.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earwig

I find them in and around my hives routinely, no issue, and not dangerous. The article above highlights that the pinchers aren't really harmful. Though it also mentions a foul-smelling defense discharge, something I've not experienced. All in all, I don't worry about them.

I have never seen one inside the hive only outside usually under the cover.

cryptobrian said:

Yes, it is a common earwig.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earwig

I find them in and around my hives routinely, no issue, and not dangerous. The article above highlights that the pinchers aren't really harmful. Though it also mentions a foul-smelling defense discharge, something I've not experienced. All in all, I don't worry about them.

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OBVIOUSLY you were never a kid! It is, indeed, a pincherbug! Ask any kid.

This post suggests that earwigs may eat SHBs. After reading this, I leave the earwigs alone.

http://www.beesource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-284776.html

I've called those earwigs since I was a kid. They do pinch, hurts worse than a bee sting in my opinion. I've only ever seen those on top of the inner cover.

Kevtater said:

I've called those earwigs since I was a kid. They do pinch, hurts worse than a bee sting in my opinion. I've only ever seen those on top of the inner cover.

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Thanks for saving me, I remember someone saying something about them being defensive and causing pain. I see them once in a while inside the inner covers, but the bees pay them no attention, so I do the same.

lazy shooter said:

Thanks for saving me, I remember someone saying something about them being defensive and causing pain. I see them once in a while inside the inner covers, but the bees pay them no attention, so I do the same.

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Well, I learned something today; thanks! I had no idea that they could actually inflict pain (I grew up calling them pincherbugs, too). I do see them in my hives, usually above the inner cover, but they seem not to pose a problem. What has happened this year is that they took over every one of my traps. There were hundreds of them in each and every trap, even those that were well elevated off of the ground. They poured out like a thick, dark liquid, there were so many of them. But, there was no damage to frames or comb. They seemed to have piled together in the darkest corner. So, it seems that without bees they can take over, but with bees they are only found at low levels.

I popped an inner cover off yesterday just to look at a super's progress and the bees lit out after me like I've never experienced. They were MAD! Luckily, I had a jacket and veil on. My son though, was chased! He headed indoors and the chaser came in with him!
We haven't seen the chaser, although he's in here somewhere.

Last night, I laid down to sleep and thought I felt something crawling on my elbow. I laid there trying to decide if I was imagining it or not and then I remembered that loose bee in the house! Just as I went to rub the moving thing off my elbow - it started to sting a bit! I quickly brushed it onto the bed sheet to smack it and saw, in the darkness - a pincherbug!

My imagination? I think not!

I see some ants and some earwigs. I do not see a lot of ants or a lot of earwigs at the same time. Not sure if earwigs chase out the ants or ants chase out the earwigs, I'd rather have a lot of earwigs than a lot of ants.

You could call them " pinche bugs" when they scurry out of dark places! ( Mexican slang for the F-word) lol!

spieker said:

This post suggests that earwigs may eat SHBs. After reading this, I leave the earwigs alone.

http://www.beesource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-284776.html

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Do earwigs eat SHB larva? If so might they also eat honey bee larva?
Phil

I've never seen earwigs on comb, rarely in the corners of the hive bodies, mostly inner cover and sometimes in the corners of the bottoms.