On this bright, warm, autumn morning, our youngest grandson visited our Littleton Farm. Searching for an activity that might entertain him, my wife suggested picking some of our green apples and making cinnamon apple sauce.
He, of course, enjoyed the collection process and sampled quite a few of the apples before they were processed. Since we do not use pesticides on the farm, a good number showed signs of insect damage and earwigs emerged from a few of the cavities. Represented by about 2000 species across the globe, these elongated, flattened insects are easily identified by the pincers at the end of their abdomen. Females lay their eggs in protected crevices by mid autumn and, in some species, overwinter with them to offer protection; after hatching in late winter, the juveniles undergo at least four molts before they mature to adults. Throughout these stages, they feed on a wide variety of plant and animal matter, including flowers, vegetation, fruit, other insects and carrion; since they are primarily nocturnal, earwigs are seldom encountered unless found within crops or in basements. They, in turn, are preyed upon by a diverse group of insectivores, including amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
Despite the earwig damage, most of the apple crop remained edible and the applesauce was enjoyed by all. Though he is not yet two years old, I'm sure our grandson gained some insight into food production, watching it go from tree to stove to mouth!
He, of course, enjoyed the collection process and sampled quite a few of the apples before they were processed. Since we do not use pesticides on the farm, a good number showed signs of insect damage and earwigs emerged from a few of the cavities. Represented by about 2000 species across the globe, these elongated, flattened insects are easily identified by the pincers at the end of their abdomen. Females lay their eggs in protected crevices by mid autumn and, in some species, overwinter with them to offer protection; after hatching in late winter, the juveniles undergo at least four molts before they mature to adults. Throughout these stages, they feed on a wide variety of plant and animal matter, including flowers, vegetation, fruit, other insects and carrion; since they are primarily nocturnal, earwigs are seldom encountered unless found within crops or in basements. They, in turn, are preyed upon by a diverse group of insectivores, including amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
Despite the earwig damage, most of the apple crop remained edible and the applesauce was enjoyed by all. Though he is not yet two years old, I'm sure our grandson gained some insight into food production, watching it go from tree to stove to mouth!
