A picky assistant to gardeners - the fireman beetle

Description and external differences of the soldier bug

The soldier bug (in Latin Pyrrhocoris apterus) belongs to the red bug family. This is one of the types of common ground bugs. The insect has many names. Because of its bright red and black coloration, it is called the fireman bug or the red bug. And due to the lack of wings, it is sometimes called the wingless red bug.

The soldier bug looks like a small (9 - 11 mm) bug with a rounded, flattened body. The body is black, with a black and red pattern on the elytra and back. The pattern consists of spots of various shapes (circles, triangles, stripes). The eyes are red, the paws and whiskers are black. The mouthparts are piercing-sucking.

Appearance

Who can be confused with?

The soldier bug is often confused with two types of insects:

1. The henbane bug is very similar in appearance and size to the red bug. The main external differences are a triangular head with a large red spot and darker eyes, not red, but brown.
2. The fire beetle is a representative of the soft-bodied family, having a red and black color. This insect has quite a lot of external differences from the soldier. The beetle is larger (reaches 1.6 cm), it has a more elongated body, black elytra, and the abdomen and legs are red or brown.

If it’s really easy to mistake a bobwhite for a soldier, then in the case of a soft-bodied fish, the main confusion arises from the name, since both representatives of arthropods are popularly called firefighters.

Fireman beetle. Lifestyle and habitat of the fireman's beetle

Every gardener and gardener probably knows a small bug with red legs.
As a person approaches, he immediately takes off, carrying away his flattened body. The insect has an ancient history of its kind. A firefighter beetle was discovered in Burmese and Lebanese amber that is more than 100 million years old. Why the insect is called this becomes clear from observations of its outfit of black and red-orange flowers, characteristic of fire engines. Nothing else connects the beetle with firefighters.

The fireman beetle insect belongs to the family of soft beetles, the name of which reflects their main feature - soft bodily integument that does not have a hard chitinous cover. In scientific sources, the full name of the beetle is found - the red-legged soft beetle.

Lives in temperate and cold zones, the fireman is distributed over a vast territory of Eurasia.

The insect is only 1.5-2 cm in length. The body has an elongated and flattened shape. The abdomen is composed of 7 rings of red or orange color. The big head is retracted. There is no upper lip. The filamentous antennae consist of 11 joints.

The elytra are black or dark gray. The upper part of the body has villi. In the front part of the back, near the head, you can see a dark spot in the shape of a heart, but the outline of the pattern changes for each representative of the species.

The fireman beetle in the photo always amazes with its slender shape and long antennae, like antennas, turned in different directions.

Soft-bodied insects and their larvae are useful because they eat many small insects. Active insects can often be found on plant flowers, garden plantings of raspberries, strawberries, currants, etc.

Birds and large insects do not bother firefighters because of their ability to defend themselves. The beetles' tissues contain a substance called cataridin, which is poisonous to enemies. When hunting, a small predator attacks caterpillars, flies, and other small insects, bites them and injects poison, like a snake.

After immobilizing the prey, they release a special liquid that liquefies the tissues of the prey to absorb food.

Such a grip often saves the beetle from the invader, who only needs to unclench his palm. The fire beetle usually quickly flies away or pretends to be dead by tucking its limbs. Even in flight, it is not difficult to catch an insect - the beetle’s movement speed is low due to confidence in its own safety.

Softworm larvae look like a bunch of dark-colored, furry beads. The larvae live in fallen leaves, rotten wood, soil, and under the bark of trees. They move quickly. They feed on smaller larvae of their relatives and their eggs.

They have extraintestinal digestion. The larvae release digestive juice into the victim’s body, destroying tissue, and then suck the resulting liquid.

The red fireman's beetle serves as an environmentally friendly defense against garden pests. To attract beneficial insects, it is recommended to keep fallen leaves near the trees, not to use pesticides, and not to dig up the area, especially the tree trunks. Soft beetles are natural agricultural assistants.

The benefits and harms of the fireman's beetle have been well studied. There is a known method of fighting cockroaches in the house using soft beetles. It is enough to bring a couple of insects - there will be no red Prussians. Causing harm is associated with an overpopulation of beetles in one area, when they eat buds and fruits on trees.

To restore natural balance, firefighters can be carefully collected by hand and given to neighbors if they agree. Gloves will not be superfluous in this work, since the beetles bite.

Another method is to spray the area with a mixture containing tobacco dust or crushed cigarettes. The pungent odor repels insects. But this method of scaring helps only until the first rain.

Radical methods of application are to use Mashenka chalk, which is crushed and sprinkled on the borders of a certain area.

It is recommended to catch insects by hand, since getting rid of firefighter beetles in the house using chemicals will not be environmentally friendly.

The soft-bodied family is numerous - almost 4000 species. There are 4 subfamilies. Despite the external defenselessness and small size of insects, they are not included in the bird diet due to toxic substances in the tissues of their body.

In addition to the well-known fireman beetles, or the red-legged soft beetle, the following are common in our latitudes:

• The brown softy beetle is an inhabitant of forests and forest-steppes. The length of the insect is 1.1 - 1.5 cm. The color is reddish-black. Legs are dark. Larvae of a brown softy beetle with 3 pairs of legs. Flat head with 2 eyes. The larvae feed on worms, small insects, and even eat each other. They live in the roots of trees, on plant litter, under stones, and take refuge in the soil;

• flower beetle (red) - the black tips of the soft elytra and the square shape of the pronotum distinguish this species from other relatives. The color is predominantly red. The length of the body is no more than 1 cm. It lives in flowering meadows and thickets of plants. The beetle is distributed throughout Europe. You can see it in nature from May to September.

Among soft beetles there are many predatory beetles, but there are vegetarians who are satisfied with exclusively plant foods.

In addition to beetles that are similar in essence, we can distinguish a rather rare relative - the common firefly, which is also part of the family of beetles with soft elytra (elytra).

Lantern fireflies live in the subtropics and tropics. They have the amazing ability to glow in the dark. Not all fireflies have luminous organs; some species glow according to gender: only females or exclusively males.

Nutrition

The predatory nature of firefighter beetles manifests itself in the hunt for a variety of insects: aphids, caterpillars, small leaf beetles, and the larvae of other soft beetles. Organisms protected by a chitinous covering are too tough for the firefighter beetle.

Red-legged softies approach their prey closely or sit on it. They press with their jaws from all sides until the resistance stops. Sharp and strong sickle-shaped jaws, which are designed specifically for holding, not chewing, help preserve prey.

Injecting poison and digestive juice into the victim’s body helps convert what they catch into food. The diet includes insects whose size is smaller than the predator itself.

Firefighter beetle larvae also follow the diet of predators. It is interesting that the number of garden pests destroyed by softfly larvae exceeds the imago, i.e. developed beetles. The larvae eat various centipedes, worms, and small insects.

What do firefighter beetles eat, besides small animals? If an excessive number of red-legged soft-bodied animals have gathered in one area, then the lack of animal food is compensated for by plant food.

Beetles bite off flowering buds and greenery of fruit crops, causing harm to gardeners and gardeners. This does not happen so often, so experts unanimously believe that the benefits of firefighter beetles are disproportionately greater than the harm.

In the hot summer, when the soil and air are thoroughly warmed up, the mating period of red-legged softies begins. This time falls in July, the zenith of summer.

The female lays eggs on some soft base: leaf litter, decomposed plant debris, wood debris, rotten stumps, branches, etc. After laying fertilized eggs, the female and male die after some time.

Incubation lasts 15-20 days - the period depends on the ambient temperature. A dark larva covered with hairs gradually appears. In appearance, it resembles fuzzy beads interconnected, somewhat similar to a necklace. The development of larvae is associated with active feeding and movement.

This can be found in natural conditions somewhere under the bark of old trees. After two weeks, young red-legged softwings appear, and after a month they are ready to reproduce.

Rapid settlement and independent life do not last long. The total lifespan of a firefighter beetle is very short - about two months.

The study of garden inhabitants, firefighter beetles in particular, contributes to the correct line of behavior in the fight against garden pests.

Most people have quite often encountered the soldier bug in their garden plots. He has a very unusual appearance, in comparison with other relatives. But this outwardly pretty insect can cause significant damage to the entire crop.

Habitat

Red soldier bugs live over a vast territory from polar latitudes to the tropics, but they are especially common in regions with temperate climates. They can be found in Russia, the USA, European countries, India, northern Africa, and China.

Main insect habitats:

• old stumps, fallen trees;
• under the bark or in the hollows of trees;
• in dry grass and fallen leaves.

Soldiers can also be found on wooden fences, in bathhouses, gazebos and outbuildings. For the winter they hide in the soil, under stones.

Meet the fireman beetle (8 photos + 1 video)

A little biology

The fireman beetle or red-legged soft beetle (Cantharis rustica), a small beetle 1.5-2 cm long. The abdomen is red or orange, the elytra are black or dark gray. On the pronotum, the soft calf has a dark symmetrical spot, similar to a heart, but has an individual shape for each representative of the species. On the head there is a pair of thread-like antennae, consisting of 11 joints. Sexual dimorphism is expressed in size: the male is smaller than the female. In addition, females and males have differences in the structure of the claws; in females they are more tenacious and larger. Soft beetles and their larvae are predators, eating as many small insects as they can handle.

The lifespan of the fire beetle is very short. Typically the breeding season occurs in mid-summer, July. Soon after mating, the female lays fertilized eggs in a soft substrate. It can be leaf litter on untouched soil, or decomposing plant debris: rotten tree branches, boards, stumps and other wood debris left to rot.

The eggs are incubated for 15-20 days, depending on the ambient temperature. The eggs hatch into larvae that overwinter in the soil. In the spring they pupate.

Because of their special body segmentation, insect larvae closely resemble a bunch of beads. Under natural conditions, they can be found in the spring under the bark of rotting trees. Fire beetle larvae are also predators. They look for small centipedes and worms in wood dust. Inside the sharp dagger-shaped or sickle-shaped jaws there is a special channel. In general, the jaws of larvae are designed to hold prey, and not for chewing. They resemble the teeth of a poisonous snake. The similarity is enhanced by the fact that when bitten, poison passes through the canals in the beetle’s jaws and is injected into the victim’s body. In addition, part of the digestive fluid is poured onto her body, due to which the tissues soften and dissolve. The resulting semi-liquid pulp is sucked in by the larva.

Interesting Facts

— The beetle is a predator and preys on small insects such as aphids, flies, various larvae, caterpillars, attacking them, biting and injecting poison, like a snake. After this, they release a digestive fluid that liquefies the tissues of the victim, and then absorb the food into themselves. — If you try to take a red-legged soft beetle in your hand, the beetle will instantly release a poisonous liquid with a specific odor and may bite to consolidate the effect. - If cockroaches have settled in the house, then it is enough to let a few soft-bodied insects into it to get rid of the annoying insects. — On the pronotum of the soft calf there is a dark symmetrical spot, similar to a heart, but with an individual shape for each representative of the species.

— This beetle is not afraid of cool weather, and in summer it can be seen in all areas of temperate and cold climates. — Soft-bodied animals are not afraid of birds of prey and insects, from whose attacks they are reliably protected by the poison produced in their body (cantharidin). — In case of danger, when the firefighter beetle is frightened by something and does not have time to fly away, it pretends to be dead, tucking its limbs under itself. — In our latitudes you can find three more representatives of the soft-bodied family. In the photo below from left to right: Flower soft beetle (Cantharis livida), Bright soft beetle (Cantharis pellucida) and red-legged or country soft beetle (Cantharis rustica)

— If there are too many soft beetles, they eat the buds on the trees and the fruits of the cherry trees, causing significant damage. — The fire beetle does not have an upper lip. — In English-speaking countries, the village soft beetle was nicknamed the Soldier beetle, apparently again because of their bright red color, similar to the uniform of the English Royal Guards and Beefeaters. — During the thaw in the spring, the larvae of firefighter beetles crawl out into the snow to escape flooding, which is why they are called “snow worms.” — Firefighter beetles can be used as an environmentally friendly defense against garden pests. It is enough to leave fallen leaves under the trees and not dig up the tree trunks.

— It won’t be difficult to catch a softie in flight; it has a low speed, due to its confidence in its own safety. — There are approximately 4,000 species of soft-bodies. These are beetles with relatively soft body coverings. Even their elytra, which in most beetles are usually hard, are very weak and flexible. — This species is widespread in the temperate and subtropical zone of Eurasia from the shores of the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. — The life expectancy of a firefighter does not exceed 2 months.

Reproduction and life cycle

Red bugs live 12 – 14 months. Their life cycle consists of several stages:

• egg;
• larva;
• adult.

Overwintered insects wake up quite early at the end of March or beginning of April. In May, females lay eggs. To mate, the male and female are attached to each other by the rear parts of the body. They can spend from several hours to several days in this position.

For laying, the female chooses places where it will be easier for the hatched larvae to obtain food (for example, plant leaves). A clutch usually contains from 15 to 30 eggs. Within 6–15 days, young individuals are born, begin to actively feed and develop rapidly. In the second half of June, young females continue breeding.

Amazing birth

Like any insect, the firefighter beetle is born from eggs that the female hides inside rotten stumps or loose soil. Although it dies after a while, cute larvae emerge from the clutch. From the outside, the “babies” look like miniature black beads strung on a thin thread.

While in such a shelter, the larvae are constantly moving, which has a beneficial effect on their development. Here they feed and live until they transform into a pupa. After 14 days, a magnificent creation emerges from it - the fireman beetle.

What does it eat?

Based on what soldier bugs feed on, they can rightfully be called polyphagous. The diet of red bugs includes:

• pollen;
• plant juices;
• seeds;
• berries and fruits;
• worms, snails;
• insects.

Nutrition

Sometimes their relatives become victims of soldier bugs.

Pleasant fellowship in the fight against a common enemy

Everything that is created around us occupies its special place in the Creator’s plan. Every insect and bug plays an important role in the existence of wildlife. What is the benefit of the fireman's beetle and is this insect harmful to humans?

Based on what it eats, it becomes clear that without such a predator the garden would be lost. An infestation of small caterpillars and aphids can quickly destroy a hard-earned crop. But for the amazing creature in the red and black robe, this is just tasty and nutritious food. That's why some gardeners attract beetles to their property. To do this, they try to adhere to the following rules:

• do not dig up the soil in certain areas of the land;
• do not burn fallen leaves;
• leave it under wintering bushes and trees;
• do not use harmful chemicals.

Unfortunately, sometimes such a useful community causes harm. If entire colonies of insects appear in the garden, they add plant foods to their diet.

Insects can damage flowering garden plants and some fruit garden crops. In this case, you need to take action.

What are the benefits and harms of the soldier bug?

Speaking about the dangers of the soldier bug, it is worth explaining why exactly it is dangerous:

• as a result of sucking out nutritious juices, the plant dries out, stops blooming and bearing fruit and dies over time;
• fruits affected by insects wither and become unfit for consumption;
• insects can pierce even the dense seed shell, therefore damaging the seedlings.

Red bugs infect a large number of different plants, but they cause the greatest harm to vineyards.

But soldiers can also be useful. They consume rotting fruits that are on the plant or fallen to the ground, and destroy some insect pests.

How is the fireman beetle useful, harmful activities

The adult and larva of the fireman's beetle are predators; their main diet consists of small garden pests. Favorite delicacies are:

• aphid;
• flies;
• larvae;
• small caterpillars.

The fireman beetle will attack them and inject a specific poison, cantharidin. Along with the toxic substance, digestive fluid enters the victim, which softens the tissues and the individual can only absorb the food.

If garden firemen have become very numerous in a small area, then in addition to pests, they begin to eat the buds and foliage of garden plants. They love to eat cherries, especially before and during flowering.

Whether a firefighter is a pest or not, everyone decides for himself, but he brings a lot of benefits, and the harm from him can be said to be insignificant.

Signs of the appearance of soldier bugs in the garden

The surest sign that there are soldier bugs in the area is the direct detection of insects. But even without seeing the pests themselves, you can guess their presence by the following signs:

• yellow spots appear on the cabbage, the upper leaves dry out and die;
• leaves of plants of the umbelliferous family (dill, coriander) begin to dry;
• carrot and beet tops dry out and become deformed;
• flowers and buds of plants wither and fall off;
• young seedlings grow poorly;
• berries and fruits rot or dry out.

If the plant is severely affected, it is best to dig it up and destroy it to prevent further spread of pests.

Chemical and folk remedies against pests

To get rid of persistent insects using chemicals, you need to strictly follow the instructions. The modern market offers the following effective means:

• Bankol is a non-toxic product for humans. Dissolve 5-7 ml of the substance in 10 liters of water and treat plants with bugs, larvae and eggs. The drug causes paralysis of the nervous system in insects.
• Malathion (Karbofos) is a poisonous agent intended for the disinfection of premises and garden pests.
• Actellik is an organophosphate compound used to poison pests in gardens, barns and other premises.
• Tsifoks destroys bedbugs, ants, cockroaches, fleas and other pests.

All chemicals must be dissolved in cold water to preserve their toxic properties. Cold water will help suppress the pungent odor of the substance when treating bedbug habitats.

The disadvantage of chemical treatment is that it harms not only insects, but also crops and soil. In addition, bedbugs can gradually get used to the poison.

It is better, of course, to get rid of colonies of soldiers using folk remedies. Let's describe the most popular of them:

• Laundry soap solution. Dissolve 300 g of crushed soap in a bucket of water. This solution will also help remove other insect pests. You can also treat a pre-trimmed garden plot. Sprinkle the soil with soap shavings, add water, and cover the area to be treated with a thick cloth. When the soap shavings dissolve, the soldier bugs will try to hide in the fabric; it should be rolled up and burned.
• Onion decoction. For 10 liters of water you will need 200 g of husk, leave the broth for 5 days. Treat plants with the resulting product no more than once every 5 days.
• Sarepta mustard solution. Dissolve 100 g of dry mustard in a bucket of water and spray the garden plot with the solution.
• Ash solution. Dilute 150 g of ash in a bucket to make a thick solution, and thoroughly spray the crops.

The soldier bug will not turn into a serious pest if you take timely measures to expel it from the site and do not wait for a massive bedbug invasion.

How to get rid of soldier bugs in the garden?

Some gardeners do not consider red bugs to be dangerous pests and do not fight them. But those who have encountered soldiers before and know what harm they can cause try to immediately get rid of them, using both special and folk remedies.

Natural enemies

Their natural enemies can help in the fight against soldier bugs. Among them are birds, bats, praying mantises, and spiders. But thanks to their bright coloring, as well as the ability to secrete a secretion with a strong unpleasant odor, red bugs are well protected. For example, tits do not eat soldiers because of their smell, and many spiders simply throw them out of their web.

Pest control agent

Chemicals

Special chemical agents are most effective against red bugs. But their use can have a negative impact not only on pests, but also on beneficial insects, as well as on the soil and the plants themselves. Therefore, when choosing a drug, you need to pay attention to its toxicity, follow the rules of use, dosage and frequency of use.

The following medications help get rid of soldier bugs:

• Bankol;
• Aktara;
• Karbofos;
• Malathion;
• Actellik.

Attention! During processing, you must use protective equipment - a mask, gloves.

Light traps

Another way to control insects is to use traps (both with regular light and with ultraviolet light). The operating principles of these devices are different. In a conventional light trap, insects crawl in, attracted by the light, and then either stick to a sticky surface or are sucked in by a fan. Ultraviolet radiation also attracts insects, and once inside the trap, they die from an electrical discharge.

Traditional methods

Many gardeners prefer to use traditional methods in the fight against soldier bugs, as they help get rid of insects without poisoning the plants and soil.

The most popular means:

• infusion of onion peel;
• wood ash;
• soap solution (from laundry soap);
• mustard powder.

In addition, sticky tapes are used that are wrapped around trees where bedbugs have settled.

Fireman beetle: great benefit and little harm

Soft-bodied beetles, which include today's hero fireman beetle, are given this name because their elytra do not have a hard chitinous cover, but are soft and flexible. Despite the fact that because of such wings, soft-bodied animals seem to be vulnerable to birds, frogs and other animals that want to feast on them, this is far from the case.

The fact is that the tissues of red firefighter beetles contain a toxic substance called cataridin, which protects the insect.

Below is a typical photo of a fireman's beetle.

Fireman beetle on green leaf

Description

If you look closely at the picture presented above, you can see its similarity to a fire truck, most likely this is the answer to the question why the fireman beetle is called that.

And if we turn over this small insect, which is only one and a half centimeters long, we will see a red belly, once again reminding those who want to eat it of the danger.

The description of the fireman's beetle should be supplemented by the fact that its body consists of seven joints, and its antennae have eleven. The pronotum, the first segment of the red body, has a black spot, and the soft wings are dark gray.

Reproduction

After the sun warms the air and soil well, the soft-bodied animals mate. Typically the breeding season occurs in mid-summer, July.

Soon after mating, the female lays fertilized eggs in a soft substrate.

It can be leaf litter on untouched soil, or decomposing plant debris: rotten tree branches, boards, stumps and other wood debris left to rot.

The eggs are incubated for 15-20 days, depending on the ambient temperature, and emerge into a furry larva that looks a bit like a piece of a fashionista's necklace.

Reference! Extraintestinal digestion occurs by injecting food juice into the victim’s body, a special substance under the influence of which body tissues dissolve. After this, the predator sucks up the ready-made liquid food.

By winter, some of the larvae pupate, while others overwinter in rotten leaves or rotten wood. I call the red-legged softworm caterpillars crawling out into the sun in the spring “snow worms.”

Soon after warming in nature, the larvae pupate and two weeks later young firefighter beetles emerge from them.

Nutrition

It's time to tell you what firefighter beetles eat. This point is especially important in the sphere of understanding who this insect really is - a friend who protects our cultivated plants, or an enemy - a pest of the garden.

The diet of soft-bodies includes all insects that are smaller in size and also have a soft body, due to the fact that the hard chitinous cover is too tough for a firefighter. By biting through the flesh of the victim with their jaws, similar to a snake's mouth, they inject poison and digestive juice into them.

Victims of an adult firefighter beetle can include:

• aphids;
• small caterpillars;
• various larvae;
• leaf beetles on different crops.

The larvae feed on small worms, centipedes, and various larvae. In terms of the number of pests destroyed, they can exceed adults.

Reference! Imago is the last stage of insect development, its adult form. In relation to firefighters - this is how you can call a beetle.

There are obvious benefits from firefighter beetles, because by destroying pests, they save the plants we cherish.

Despite this, most experts are inclined to believe that the benefits of these insects significantly outweigh the harm that is small by garden standards, and only if it occurs in some years. It is indicative that earlier in the villages they fought cockroaches with the help of the red-legged softy. It was enough for the firemen to launch a few beetles into the house, and the Prussians soon left it.

In order for firefighter beetles to become regulars and defenders of your site, there is no need to apply particularly complex measures. All natural farming activities are great for attracting these beneficial insects.

We just need to act as it happens in nature:

1. Do not dig the soil on the site.
2. Do not rake leaves under wintering trees and shrubs, and certainly do not burn them, losing not only useful organic matter, but also natural protectors.
3. Do not use pesticides in the garden, which destroy all living things, and ultimately us and our loved ones.

Look at nature, act according to the scenario of harmony and mutual assistance outlined by it.

Destruction

To those who were not convinced by the previous lines of the author, this last part of our story is dedicated. It will talk about how to deal with the fireman beetle.

The easiest thing is to collect red-legged softies by hand and give them to a neighbor who has been tormented by aphids. Be careful, though, firefighter beetles are dangerous because the bites of their strong jaws are quite painful.

The second method of control, which can still be tolerated on your site, is spraying with natural ingredients. Pollination with a tobacco-based mixture is best. The composition of the folk remedy is as follows:

• tobacco dust, or crumbled cheap cigarettes - 1 part;
• wood ash – 3 parts;
• red hot pepper;
• fragrant seasonings like Provençal herbs or suneli hops.

Add the last two components “to taste”, a small pinch at a time. Sprinkle the resulting powder thickly onto the damaged plantings. The unfamiliar pungent smell is designed to scare off insects and keep them out of the area.

Those who do not like the gentle natural method of fighting can use more radical methods. “Experienced” fire fighters against beetles recommend using “Mashenka” chalk, which is popular among cockroaches and their owners. You should crush it into fine dust and dust the boundaries of the quarantine area.

At the end of our story, we invite you to watch a video that will refresh your understanding of the fireman beetle.

In summer, in gardens and vegetable gardens you can find a fire beetle, scientifically called the “red-legged soft beetle,” which immediately takes off when you appear.

Zhuk Pozharnik: photo

The beetle received its name for its unusual coloring, usually black elytra and red or brown legs and body. The beetle reaches a length of 1.5 cm and has a somewhat flattened soft body and a retracted head.

Its abdomen consists of 7 rings and is covered with weak black elytra. The head is crowned with a pair of thread-like antennae, consisting of 11 joints. The top of the beetle's body is covered with hairs, and its legs have claws. One characteristic feature of a firefighter is the presence of a dark spot near the head.

Development

The lifespan of the fire beetle is very short. The female lays eggs in rotten stumps or soil and after some time dies along with the male.

After a couple of weeks, they hatch into dark-colored larvae, covered with thick hairs and in appearance resembling beads connected to each other.

The larvae live and feed, running quickly in their shelter and remain there until spring, at the end of which they turn into a pupa. After 2 weeks, an adult beetle emerges from the pupa, ready to continue life within a month.

Few gardeners know that the fire beetle is a very useful insect for the garden.

It is a predator and preys on small insects such as aphids, flies, various larvae, caterpillars, attacking them, biting and injecting poison, like a snake.

After this, they release a digestive fluid that liquefies the tissues of the victim, and then absorb the food into themselves. As for the larvae, they are also predators and catch any small living creatures that they can catch.

Beetles can also eat flower petals and leaves, but extremely rarely.

If fire beetles have settled in large numbers in your garden, and you do not want to see them there, despite their usefulness as an exterminator of insects harmful to the garden, then you can try to get rid of them in humane ways:

1. The easiest way is to simply collect them by hand. But you need to remember that the beetle is poisonous and bites strongly, so you need to work carefully and wear gloves. This method is effective only at first, until the beetles have multiplied greatly.
2. Another good way is to use cheap tobacco, such as Prima cigarettes, mixed with wood ash in a 1:3 ratio. Add hot pepper powder to the resulting mixture in an amount at your discretion, as well as dried herbs used in food, for example, cumin, suneli hops, herbes de Provence. Mix everything thoroughly and sprinkle generously on the beds with plants. But this remedy will only work until the first rain.
3. The use of chemicals is also possible. For example, the “Mashenka” chalk, used for cockroaches, has proven itself well, but only for adult insects, since chemicals do not affect the eggs at all. The chalk needs to be crushed and sprinkled on the areas where the beetles are most concentrated. Despite its effectiveness, the use of this method on plants used for food is prohibited, otherwise you can get poisoned.

Description

How to get rid of soldier bugs in a house or apartment?

Since there are most often one or several soldier bugs in an apartment, getting rid of them is not difficult. Simply sweep the insect into a dustpan and throw it outside or flush it down the toilet. In rare cases, when soldiers have settled in the house and began to reproduce, both chemicals and folk remedies will help get rid of them:

• Dichlorvos or other insecticides that can be used indoors;
• fresh or dried herbs (wormwood, tansy) are laid out in the rooms.

Sagebrush

If red bugs have chosen seedlings or indoor plants, you can use an infusion of onion peels or a soap solution to treat them.

How to deal with soldier bugs

To get rid of bedbug infestations, gardeners use different methods. We list the most common of them:

• Mechanical. Manual collection and removal of insects outside the site.
• Use of chemicals and repellents.
• Use of folk remedies.

If at least one soldier bug is found on the site, act immediately. It is necessary to immediately remove the colony of insects, destroy their eggs and larvae, before a huge number of young animals appear.

You can get rid of a soldier if he has not yet had time to reproduce in the following ways:

• plant seedlings away from legumes and alfalfa, because parasites most often overwinter on these plants;
• in the garden plot, mow down alfalfa and weeds;
• Sow black cohosh next to garden crops, a perennial plant that repels pests with its smell.

To reduce the number of insects and protect trees, you can make a special hunting belt. Cut a strip of corrugated cardboard (30 cm wide), thoroughly coat the grooves with PVA glue and glue 1.5 cm thick glass wool, and use wire to tie the product to the wood.

Preventive measures

The following preventive measures will help prevent the appearance of soldier bugs on the site:

• planting plants on the site that repel insects (black cohosh, mustard, wormwood);
• timely weeding and destruction (preferably burning) of weeds, mowing the lawn;
• regular cleaning of the area from plant debris;
• uprooting old stumps;
• removing dried bark from trees;
• correct planting (avoid close proximity of legumes to fruits, berries and vegetables).

It is also advisable to treat the area with insecticidal preparations in the fall after harvesting.

Use of entomophages on the site (with video)

In order for entomophagous insects to settle on the site, it is necessary to constantly carry out activities that can be roughly divided into two groups.

The first group of measures is aimed at attracting these creatures to the garden, and the second is aimed at keeping them on the site.

In order to attract beneficial insects, you need to plant honey plants. Moreover, it is best to plant these crops in 2-3 terms - so that they bloom throughout the season. Insects that are beneficial to hell and the garden prefer crops with small, “nondescript” flowers. In many cases, wild plants or perennial ornamental plants are used for this.

You can build flower beds on the site or plant the necessary crops between the rows (for example, dill).

It is best if the area is surrounded by a hedge consisting of wild shrubs at the flowering stage. It is not recommended to mow the grass, since you need to create a kind of ring from the grass growing in the area.

Sometimes you need to organize an “oasis” of wildlife on your property, which is a piece of uncultivated land with two or three flowering shrubs and one tall old tree.

There should be a non-drying shallow body of water, next to which insects will definitely settle.

Another effective way to “settle” entomophagous insects in your garden is to make wintering houses for them that imitate natural shelters.

Dry grass or leaves, pieces of tree bark and twigs are usually placed inside them. Houses are usually located near plants affected by pests - both garden crops and fruit and berry crops. Such structures, if approached creatively, can become an excellent decoration for the site.

Watch the video on how you can attract beneficial insects to your site:

The importance and economic feasibility of work on the introduction of beneficial organisms for the purpose of using their entomophages against pests and weeds is indisputable. However, this area of ​​plant protection already requires new methods

It is necessary to purposefully unite research in the field of introduction under the leadership of a single scientific center equipped with modern equipment. This center, in addition to coordination, also performs control functions aimed at preventing the entry of new species of pests into a certain territory. At the same time, it is also necessary to organize expeditions to search for new useful species. In addition, it is important to expand the interstate exchange of beneficial organisms. All these actions will lead to a further increase in the share of the biological method in the system of measures that ensure plant protection.

The following describes in detail which beneficial entomophagous insects protect plants from pests and how to attract them to the garden.