August, ’23] 
FULTON: POISONING EUROPEAN EARWIGS 
373 
earwigs by virtue of position, the piles were then rearranged and an¬ 
other series of counts taken in the following order: 
3 
2 
1 
5 
4 
Wheat bran 
Wheat bran 
Wheat bran 
Oat hulls 
Rice bran 
Gly. 12.5% 
Gly. 25% 
Gly. 50% 
Gly. 25% 
Gly. 25% 
1st position. 
32 
27 
17 
30 
50 
Reversed. . . 
53 
42 
44 
60 
64 
Total. 
85 
69 
61 
90 
114 
From these results it would appear that the three mixtures of glycerin 
and molasses are approximately equal in attractiveness, while the mix¬ 
tures containing rice, bran and oat hulls were slightly more attractive, 
the latter giving the highest total count. 
Rice bran and oat hulls are not of such a nature that they can be 
scattered easily and this mechanical objection would exclude them for 
use on the ground, but as a bait to be applied to objects, for late summer 
work after the earwigs are old enough to climb about, they would be 
superior to wheat bran. 
In another series of tests the attractiveness of glycerin alone was 
compared to molasses alone, and to bran wet with water only. Five 
piles of bran were placed on a board as follows and counts made in two 
locations: 
Water 
Mol. 25% 
Mol. 50% 
Gly. 50% 
Water 
Totals. 
60 
81 
104 
47 
56 
From these figures it is evident that glycerin alone adds little if any¬ 
thing to the attractiveness of the mixture. The advantage of position 
would probably account for the fact that more earwigs visited the bran 
piles wet with water alone. 
These materials were left in the last location until the following night 
when they were examined. The bran which had been wet with water 
alone was thoroughly dry, those with molasses were very slightly moist, 
while that containing glycerin was distinctly moist. Two counts of 
earwigs at different hours gave the following: 
Water 
Molasses 25% 
Molasses 50% 
Glycerin 50% 
W ater 
4 
13 
37 
51 
1 
At any one time more earwigs were feeding at the glycerin pile than 
at any time on the previous evening, due no doubt to the lessened 
attractiveness of the other mixtures. 
