Sweetcorn

[nilling]

What's eating the tips of my sweetcorn?

Harvest a few yday and noticed the corns missing from the tip but thought it was probably due to he weather. When I stripped them in the kitchen I noticed a couple of what looked like large headlice - yewk! What are they?

[weekendwellies]

my corn was also nibbled this year. every head had an earwig in it and lots of the kernels had either been eaten or failed to 'pop' ~ hard to tell which.

[Jeanied]

Woodlice? Or the dreaded corn weevil?
Four legged pests include squirrels.

[weekendwellies]

corn weavil





earwig





woodlouse

[chris]

Something nibbled the tassles(silks?) off my late ripening sweetcorn (i..e ones I planted later on) - the tips didn't ripen at all, no corns popped out in them, earwigs in them all..

I just snapped the top end off, cut the cob in two and froze it!

[nilling]

Looking at those pictures I think they are very small earwigs

[rustylady]

I had the same problem. Think it was earwigs, but where on earth did they come from and why did they choose to eat my sweetcorn this year - they never have before.

[weekendwellies]

in a way I am glad it wasnt just mine and that others had the same issue this year. I guess it is one of the great mysteries of nature why things like this happen some years to everyone and not other years. Better luck next season folks.

[Two_Sheds]

Earwigs got in the tops of my cobs too, making them rot a bit. Little boggers, I hate earwigs

[FionaH]

They munched mine too

[weekendwellies]

Is there any way of stopping this? I love corn on the cob; last years were small but delicious, and I would like to try again next year.

[chris]

My earlier ones didn't suffer from them, the ear wigs seemed to move in later on, not sure if that's anything to do with it.

Are there nemotodes/similar for earwigs?

[Two_Sheds]

Is there any way of stopping this

Are there nemotodes/similar for earwigs?

Earwigs aren't a total pest in the garden, but if they are out of control, stuff a flower pot with shredded paper or straw, and impale it upside down on a stick/cane about 2ft off the ground (cob height).

They will congregate inside and you can then dispose of them as you wish

[weekendwellies]

Earwigs aren't a total pest in the garden, but if they are out of control, stuff a flower pot with shredded paper or straw, and impale it upside down on a stick/cane about 2ft off the ground (cob height).

They will congregate inside and you can then dispose of them as you wish

Thanks TS. I dont like to tamper with the wildlife as everything has its uses, and as you say, earwigs have their own jobs to do. This sounds like a good compromise, if it keeps them off my corn, they can feast on whatever else appeals to them. Thanks

[chris]

I don't plan on eradicating them - just a general question really! Whenever I pull a cob off, if there's some in there and they drop to the floor my chickens seem to enjoy them - so that's working for me currently