Black red bugs everywhere: what to do?

If black and red beetles have settled in the garden, the hobby gardener gets scared. Not only the signal colors cause concern, but also the affected plants. But not every species is after the plant tissue. Many insects do not appear as pests, but turn out to be useful. Most species can therefore be scared away with simple measures.

fire beetle

The scarlet fire beetle (scientifically: Pyrochroa coccinea) due to the distinctive red coloring of the pronotum and elytra. The rest of the body is colored black. Fire beetles are between three and 20 millimeters long and are slightly hairy on the upper side of the body. The elytra are finely ribbed and have a conspicuous central furrow. Adult insects are found where pollen, honeydew, and nectar are available. They do no harm to the plants. Their larvae live under the bark of rotten trees and devour harmful insects and their larvae. It is therefore not necessary to combat the fire beetle.

If their presence is perceived as disturbing, you can take gentle measures:

• Scatter coffee grounds under favorite food plants
• Pollinate plants with neem oil
• Poison-free insect powder on plants drives away the beetles

fire bug

The common fire bug (scientific: Pyrrhocoris apterus) emits an unpleasant odor when threatened. It is between six and twelve millimeters long and has an oval body outline. The body is flattened on top while the underside appears convex. The insects have a trapezoidal pronotum whose sides are sharp-edged or thickened. Fire bugs are almost unmistakable due to their distinctive coloration. While the head and feelers are black, the pronotum and body have black and red markings with two circular black spots. The insects are found in warm and sunny locations. Fire bugs suck seeds from linden and various mallows. There is no danger from the bugs. You can easily get lost in houses and apartments when windows and doors are open.

Gentle measures are sufficient to drive away the bugs:

• Plant mallows in pots placed in remote locations
• Bark mulch from the balsam fir 'Nana' acts as a development inhibitor in nymphs
• Fly tape acts as a barrier in window frames and door sills
• Relocate clumps of bugs from their winter quarters in good time in spring

lily chicken

This leaf beetle bears the biological name Lilioceris lilii and remains comparatively small with a body length of six to eight millimeters. Lily beetles are colored sealing wax red. The head and legs appear black. They are considered to be feared lily pests and prefer to colonize checkerboard flowers, but they also occur on other giant and magnificent lilies that grow on wet meadows, in gardens and on banks. Both adult beetles and their larvae eat leaf tissue and can cause a lot of damage.

They can be fought with simple means:

• Collect beetles from the leaves
• Scrape off the scrim from the underside of the leaves
• Spray plants with an aqueous solution of soft soap and ethanol
• Dust the leaves with algae lime or rock dust

knight bug

The Knight Bug (Lygaeus equestris) is up to twelve centimeters long and is easily confused with the fire bug. In contrast to this, the knight bug has fully developed wings that it can use. The black spots on the upper side of the body are reminiscent of a knight's cross. A circular white spot on the front wings is typical. The species feeds on plant juices. Knight bugs are not considered plant pests, which is why control is not necessary. They have specialized in rare habitats with warm-arid conditions such as dry grasslands and ruderal patches.

To keep insects away from the balcony and terrace, you should use attractants at a distance and avoid food plants in the immediate vicinity:

• Plant species-rich shrubs at the other end of the garden
• Avoid dandelions in the meadow
• Put milkweed or spring adonis in pots and place away

red-covered beetle

A common beetle in Europe is the weevil (scientific: Lygistopterus sanguineus). This is between seven and twelve millimeters long and has a light brown to reddish elytra coloration. The longitudinal grooves that distinguish the beetle from related species in the family are striking. A grid-like drawing is typical of other weevils, which is absent in this species. The center of the pronotum is colored black and ends in the reddish-brown coloring of the elytra. While adult beetles feed on pollen, their larvae eat insects in rotting wood of deciduous trees. The beetles do not appear in large numbers and are harmless to plants in the garden.

The measures against this beetle are limited to the following:

• Catch and release animals that have strayed into the apartment
• Avoid litter and rotten wood to prevent larvae from developing
• encourage natural enemies such as birds and hedgehogs

stripe bug

The bug with the scientific name Graphosoma lineatum is between eight and twelve millimeters long and can be recognized by its distinctive striped pattern. The black drawing is on a red or yellow-red background. Striped warts are red on the underside and dotted with black. Both nymphs and adults suck sap from maturing seeds. Even if umbellifers are preferred and strip bugs sometimes sit in large numbers on the plants, there is no danger to the plant.

If you want to prevent insects from entering the garden, you should avoid certain plants:

• Parsnips are preferred food plants and mating sites
• in gardens strip bugs often sit on dill, carrots and fennel
• Shrubs near the food plants offer optimal retreats in spring
• in nature hair strand, angelica, goutweed and man litter are colonized

head beetle

The red haired beetle (biological: Anthocomus rufus) is almost five millimeters long and has red elytra and black legs. The elytra do not cover the entire abdomen in the female, so that a black-colored tip protrudes at the end of the body. Typical is the slightly frayed pronotum, which is reddish at the edges and black in the middle. The beetles prefer sunny and warm locations. Their diet includes reed pollen and dead insects, preferably the reed spider. Ear beetles are not plant pests and should not be fought.

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