Invasion Of The Earwigs Ugh...Those creepy bugs are harmless. But they are boosting area business for exterminators. BY JENNIFER FINER JEWISH NEWS INTERN W hile the earwig does not come out of peo- ple's ears like the myth suggests, these ugly critters are crawling around local homes in numbers that are aston- ishing — yet profitable — for local exterminators. Glenn Sidder, general manager of Eradico Services Inc., and Mark Wagner, president of Pest Arrest Inc., say 1993 is the sum- mer of the ugly, but harm- less, earwig. "Earwigs are the number- one bug of the season," said Mr. Wagner, whose compa- ny is averaging 40 calls a day for earwigs. "They are outdoor insects who really don't want to be inside, but this weather is forcing them in." In fact, the earwigs are out in such force that Mr. Wagner says his company is running almost a week behind schedule and his business has virtually dou- bled since last summer. Mr. Sidder estimates ear- wigs account for a 10-15 percent increase in calls to his six Michigan offices. "It seems like every year you always get some insect that exerts greater pres- sures," he said. "It's just something that happens in our industry." co t.- sgs ir certain glands lining s) n. The ike se n of the canal of w the outer ear. ear•wigs (ir'wig') n. can be distin h insects all oter guished from which h are shaped like bye forceps. Earwigs are small to medium sized (1/8 3/4 o an inch long) and brown or blackish into f color . Though many species have fully developed wings, earwigs seldom fly. They are scavenger s and plant eaters for the most part, active mainly at night. They sometimes feed on cultivated plants. Female earwigs lay their eggs in b urrows the ground or in debris, and guard them until in the nyhs htch. The 18 North American species of ear widespread, and some are abundant. mpwigsa are Earwigs do not (at least as a rule) climb into peo- ple's ears. But they can pinch P secrete a with their "tails" and liquid if disturbed. ave led m ake the week. Mr. Rosenfeld made a conference call to some 30 to 40 U.S. investors to explain the situation that has led to the more than a CPI Up 0.2 Percent third of the year. onomists expected a ex knowing that tors, such as itifai /ac prices of fruits and vegeta-. ich fell 3.6 percent, Rlea ease inflation. is warned that , 6my may stall if srael fails to ower er earwig ease (ez) n teir confi x, said one viv analyst. The reason for the fall was a Scitex report that it expects its earnings to fall below analysts' estimates for the second quarter. I. discomfort. 2. Freedom from pain, worry, r Freedom from constraint or aw o w r ess• nat uralness. k- 3 V • " : fro m difficult Because of all the rain and humidity, the earwig has been the most talked- about bug of the summer. They are especially preva- lent around homes with dirty gutters, wood piles and outdoor garbage cans. Both compa- nies have differ- ent methods of spraying for the pests. Eradico Services' pre- ferred method of treatment is spraying out- side the home. "When they are inside your home, they aren't going to survive. You want to treat around the outside," Mr. Sidder said. "Your real source is outside so you try to stop their entry points around the house." M r . Wagner prefers spraying organic chemi- cals inside. Mark Wagner sprays for earwigs. "Even though the chemicals we use are odorless and organic, not everyone wants his house sprayed," Mr. Wagner said. "So we give callers free advice and we'll walk them through the steps." What does Mr. Wagner tell his customers? Because of rain and humidity, the earwig has been the most talked- about bug of the summer. They are prevalent around homes with dirty gutters, wood piles and outdoor garbage cans. "Inside your house you can do a number of things to get rid of earwigs, ants and even spiders, such as paint- ing baseboards with odor- less vinegar to kill them or spreading cucumbers to repel them," he said. Mr. Wagner also suggests pouring bleach down the drain once a month to pre- vent bugs from breeding. reflecte industry, t in the continui construction. The from abroad for Israel Aircraft Wins Contract Israel Aircraft Industries Shahal plant announced it has been awarded a con- tract potentially worth $5 million by American air- craft manufacturing giant Boeing. Shahal, a member of IAI's Technical Division, has been selected to supply various landing gear hydraulic sub-systems for 150 of Boeing's new B- 777s. The contract, which was officially awarded a num ber of weeks ago, is for supplying the systems for the aircraft's main and sec- ondary landing gears, according to an IAI official. The B-777 is a wide body, double-engine corn- mercial plane being built to carry more than 300 passengers. The plane, according to the IAI, is scheduled to make its first flight in 1994. Burger King Attracts Interest Six to seven serious par- ties have expressed inter- est in competing for the franchise to operate the Burger King chain in Israel. Joy Among them: Properties; Clal group, a group headed by business- man Alfred Akirov; Nachi Laor, the founder of the Apropo restaurant chain; Mario Laznik construction company; and business- man Yair Tamir — who up until last week managed the Pizza Hut chain, which is owned by. Clal.