# earwigs



## brandongalea (Dec 10, 2007)

I just discovered that what i thought were springtails were not springtails at all but earwigs. I discovered as well that springtails do not exist in Malta or if they exist they are rare.
Are earwigs beneficial like springtails in which they clean the frogs' excreta and can be fed to frogs?
They have that scissor like appendage at the end of their tail, can that be dangerous to the frogs?


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## syble (Mar 20, 2007)

I've never tried feeding earwigs, but I have seen those pinchers in action, no way would I feed an adult to even my biggest frog, but what about juviniles? Look to be nice and soft boddied, and pinchers wouldn't be a problem... I would avoid using them as thank custodians though as they are omnivores 
















Sib


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## xm41907 (Nov 26, 2007)

I would not advise putting earwigs in your tank. They will mostly feed on your plants, and not help with decomposition. The pinchers are large, and while I would not rule out them hurting a frog, they rarely are harmfully used. While I am not positive, I could see earwigs predating on eggs and possibly tads. There really is no benefit to having earwigs in your viv, and the potential for plant loss, egg predation, and injury to frogs, it's just not a good idea to have them.

James


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## bbrock (May 20, 2004)

I've had earwigs in my pumilio viv for nearly a decade now and have seen no harmful side effects from them. I didn't purposely add them but they've been present in low densities for many years. The largest adult I ever saw was less than 1 cm long. In this same viv, I leave pumilio froglets to rear themselves on the microfauna in the leaf litter. These froglets hit the ground when they are only about 0.5 cm long and do just fine among the variety of beasts lurking in the litter. Just last night I discovered some sort of hemipteran crawling around in there. I have no doubt that the variety of arthropods is largely responsible for the froglet success.


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## Jer (Feb 9, 2008)

Watch out that they don't crawl in your ear when you are sleeping and lay eggs in your brain!









Fake Edit: OK I better say it's only a myth before I get my head chewed off.


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## brandongalea (Dec 10, 2007)

Jer said:


> Watch out that they don't crawl in your ear when you are sleeping and lay eggs in your brain!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


LOOOOL


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## brandongalea (Dec 10, 2007)

bbrock said:


> I've had earwigs in my pumilio viv for nearly a decade now and have seen no harmful side effects from them. I didn't purposely add them but they've been present in low densities for many years. The largest adult I ever saw was less than 1 cm long. In this same viv, I leave pumilio froglets to rear themselves on the microfauna in the leaf litter. These froglets hit the ground when they are only about 0.5 cm long and do just fine among the variety of beasts lurking in the litter. Just last night I discovered some sort of hemipteran crawling around in there. I have no doubt that the variety of arthropods is largely responsible for the froglet success.


Do they break down your frogs' excreta?
What other beasts have you got with your pumilio?


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## bbrock (May 20, 2004)

brandongalea said:


> bbrock said:
> 
> 
> > I've had earwigs in my pumilio viv for nearly a decade now and have seen no harmful side effects from them. I didn't purposely add them but they've been present in low densities for many years. The largest adult I ever saw was less than 1 cm long. In this same viv, I leave pumilio froglets to rear themselves on the microfauna in the leaf litter. These froglets hit the ground when they are only about 0.5 cm long and do just fine among the variety of beasts lurking in the litter. Just last night I discovered some sort of hemipteran crawling around in there. I have no doubt that the variety of arthropods is largely responsible for the froglet success.
> ...


I couldn't say how important their role in keeping the vivarium "clean" is because there are a lot of other arthropods living in the leaf litter of that viv. Do a search on "microfauna" and you'll find a list of what I've seen. Although it doesn't include the hemipteran that I recently discovered.


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