Earwigs?

[gryeyes]

Sometimes I'll even see one crawling up the wall, and I'll cluck for the chickens and point to it - first one there gets the goodie!

Then the others mutter about being called over for nuthin'. So of course I go on a bug hunt for 'em.

 

[beachchickie]

I think someone hit the nail on the head. Maybe they can't get the ones under the hay bales

 

[clfehler]

I am SO excited to get my chicks feathered out and outside after the earwigs!! We have so many here! They get into the house even!

 

[broodybird]

Go figure

I have three different breeds and mine don't like the earwigs either! I was SO looking forward to having my earwig infestation annihilated, but no luck as of yet. They see them, but just move on to the ants. Although, they are still young (7 - 9 wks old). Maybe they need to develop a palate for earwigs? Like me -- I hated avocados when I was kid, but can't live without 'em now.

 

[sharihern]

I cleaned out the nesting boxes and tons of earwigs came crawling out. NASTY! I don't know if my chickens are eating them or not. (I only have 2) But it kind of grosses me out that there are so many of them where the chickens sleep and where they will be laying eggs. The nesting boxes were dry so i don't know why they were there. Any tips on what I can do?

 

[broodybird]

I cleaned out the nesting boxes and tons of earwigs came crawling out. NASTY! I don't know if my chickens are eating them or not. (I only have 2) But it kind of grosses me out that there are so many of them where the chickens sleep and where they will be laying eggs. The nesting boxes were dry so i don't know why they were there. Any tips on what I can do?

I wonder if sprinkling a little DE in the boxes wouldn't help? It keeps a lot of other bugs at bay. I dunno. Just randomly thinking out loud....

 

[TimDavey10]

Are you sure your chickens are alive? Never known a chicken to pass up an earwig or any bug for that matter.

Mine tear them up but they still live in all the cracks and under the nests everywhere!!!

 

[TimDavey10]

Earwigs thrive in moist/damp environments. In the midwest we've had 3 consecutive years with above average rainfall so the earwigs, gnats, mosquitoes . millipedes, etc, etc are going crazy.

There may just be too many for your birds to eat.

I think that's my issue, I live in Oklahoma and it's been an insanely rainy year.

 

[Lonesome Dough]

I just made this observation yesterday, we had a cold snap a couple weeks ago then it warmed back into the 60-70 range and the wasps came out in squadrons, it was scary how many were on the hot side of every building BUT the chicken coop. now that I look around except for a few spiders in the feed room there are no bugs in the coop or outside run. we collect grasshoppers for the girls when available and when I'm splitting wood they get those thumb size grubs, the girls act like its a 20oz porterhouse. I wish we could free range them for total bug control but we have a complete array of eagles, hawks and owls.

 

[DoWeReallyKnow]

I'm really surprised, I think this is the first time I've EVER heard of chickens who DON'T want to eat them!

That's interesting that they are nesting in dry conditions. They are usually attracted to moisture. It's possible they just decided to take refuge in the hay when they sensed dawn to bunk for the day because they are nocturnal. Are there any other moist places around the hay? A leaky gutter or downspout, mulch, compost pile, or old wood pile? They are also very attracted to light and will crawl towards outdoor lights and things.

Anyway, earwigs are not dangerous or destructive. They are simply part of Mother Nature's clean up crew and scavenge for dead insects and decomposing plant material. Most people don't like them and want them gone because they don't like the way they look.

But they're harmless so you really don't have to put any effort into doing anything with them if you don't want to.

Maybe the chickens are woke and have decided to become vegetarians. I imagine when everyone is asleep at night they hold protests marching with posters quoting things like earwigs have souls too and bugs lives matter. Who knows what goes on in their spare time. Maybe the chicken run movie is based on a true story. I guess we will never know.