Soldier bug (firefighter): a description of how to get rid of, harm and how dangerous

A firefighter, a Cossack, or a soldier bug is a harmless and harmless insect that undeservedly raises a lot of questions about how to destroy them, how dangerous they are when they appear in the house, are they harmful and the like. Perhaps the whole point is in aversion to insects in general, or maybe in the frightening red-black coloration of the bug's back - after all, the red color signals danger.

Larvae of tahin flies

A fluffy and big-eyed hedgehog (more precisely, an adult) interests you exclusively as a potential parent for the generation of larvae. But they are already capable of lime in the garden and in the garden of such pests as leaf rollers, sawflies, moths, silkworms, moths, bedbugs, Colorado beetles, etc.
Depending on the type of fly, the larvae can hunt in different ways. Some of them bite into the prey themselves, others are laid by an adult fly in the body of the victim, others lie quietly in the egg and wait until the naive caterpillar eats the "surprise".

The insects themselves feed on flower nectar and fruit juice, but their uterus and larvae need protein food, so adults have to hunt a lot. Perhaps the wasp is the most dangerous winged predator on our list today. Some of the species, for example, the burrowing wasp Larra, are capable of destroying even a bear, and those that live in our area, calmly cope with flies, beetles, bedbugs, and of course, mosquitoes, leaf rollers and aphids.

Some types of wasps, for example, typhia, paralyze the victim with their poison, and then lay an egg in its body. The action of the poison lasts for several hours, then the larva continues to move, and a new insect develops inside it, feeding on it. In order to carry out this procedure with the beetle, wasps can break through tunnels in the ground to a depth of 10 cm.

Area

Gardens and vegetable gardens are the abode of soldier bugs. To arrange nests, insects climb into logs rotten from old age, tree trunks, fences made of boards and picket fences. At times, the soldiers literally swarm on the woody surfaces.

However, these corners are intended for resting pest beetles. Redbirds hunt on young vegetation planted in personal plots. The toy soldiers wreak havoc on gardeners

gardeners, reducing yields. Beds with cabbage, carrots, beets, fruit trees and shrubs are favorite places for pest fishing.

What serves as food for soldier bugs

Bedbugs are not whimsical in food. With a shortage of food, they do not disdain carrion - they eat dead insects and vertebrates. When they have enough of their favorite food, they are able to get enough juice from cultivated plants or weeds.

Punches the tissue of leaves and stems with a proboscis, pests suck out the nutritious juice from them. A plant deprived of life-giving moisture stops bearing fruit and dies over time. Fruits and roots damaged by beetles are not suitable for human consumption.

Redbirds leave eggs on the leaves and stems of vegetation, which excludes the death of larvae from hunger. Tiny spiders huddle in colonies, feed on the nectar of plants.

Most of all, the soldier bug loves to be saturated with grape juice. The damage done by colonies is enormous. Therefore, gardeners, having noticed redblogs on their site, take urgent measures to destroy them.

What harm can a soldier bug bring?

The appearance of soldiers' bedbugs can be a big nuisance for a summer resident. The plants and trees that these insects feed on begin to shed their foliage, wither and dry out as a result. Fruits spoiled by a bug are unsuitable for food.

Since the wingless redbird reproduces very quickly, the appearance of a pair of individuals will already be a reason to raise the alarm. Within a matter of weeks, they can infect all the plants on the site. And this will lead to an almost complete loss of the crop.

The larvae are especially harmful. Hatching from eggs, they begin to actively feed on the plant in which they settled. Vineyard owners suffer more from the invasion of these insects, since the beetle of these plants eats both stems and fruits.

For a person, the red bug does not pose a danger to the soldier. Therefore, if an insect is found in the house, there is no reason to be afraid of it. Since it will emit a characteristic odor when crushed, it will be prudent to simply let it out into the street. Or use a broom and a scoop and flush the pests down the toilet.

Where is common

The soldier bug is widespread in Eurasia, in northern Africa and the United States. Countries with temperate climates are favorable for insect breeding.

Bedbug habitat:

under the bark of trees;
on stumps;
in heaps of dry grass and leaves;
at the foundations of houses, baths, gazebos and other outbuildings;
in the fence and its foundation.

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During hibernation, insects are under heaps of garbage, in humus, in trees - under bark or in hollows.

How to attract beneficial insects to your garden

Plant more dill, caraway seeds, daisies and sunflowers in the spring to attract these beneficial predators to your site, and leave odorous weeds, such as tansy and yarrow, in your garden during the season. The more fragrant and flowering plants in the garden, the better - they attract such helpers.

Small piles of sawdust, shavings, or crushed bark will be an excellent haven for garden orderlies. Many of them like to relax near ornamental garden ponds, hiding in the crevices of small rocky expositions.

Garden orderlies will be attracted by the yarrow growing on the site

If, after pruning the trees, you have thick branches or stumps at your disposal, take the time and drill numerous holes in them, and then lay out such "houses" in different corners of the summer cottage. In the fall, you should not so carefully rake fallen leaves and plant residues from the ground - our faithful friends settle under them for the winter. Do not be lazy after harvesting corn, tie in "bouquets" of cleaning from the cobs and hang them in the garden or spread out on the beds - such "houses" turn out to be the favorite hiding places of ladybirds and stethouses in the cold months.

Build homemade houses for beneficial insects

An excellent option for wintering garden assistants will be cardboard tubes, corked on one side and tied in several pieces - such shelters need to be horizontally laid out in secluded areas of the garden, protected from moisture. You can replace the tubules with bundles of reed, reed, or other plants with hollow shoots cut into pieces. Ordinary flower pots filled with straw or shavings are also perfect for this purpose.

The insect world is so diverse and amazing! And not all representatives of these living beings pose a threat to our garden and vegetable garden. Therefore, before you exterminate all the bugs in your summer cottage with the help of killer chemicals, think about how justified such a method of pest control is. Maybe it's time to reconsider your tactics and listen to the wisdom of nature? Wasp wasps lay eggs in the bodies of caterpillars. Photo from the site

How does it multiply

Insects reproduce rapidly during the spring and summer period. In warm regions, bed bugs produce two generations from May to July. The colony rapidly grows in size and, when living on the site, rapidly "attacks" cultivated plants.

When mating, the male and female are attached to each other with the back of the body. In this position, insects can stay from one to two hours to several days. After the seed cells enter the body of the female, the bugs are separated.

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The female lays eggs in the habitat, on the leaves of plants or in a place that makes it easier for the larvae to get food. Clutch can be 16-30 white, rice-like eggs. On the upper part of the eggs, peculiar caps are formed, through which the larvae appear - after seven to ten days.

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Young individuals can remain motionless for a long time, feeding on the sap of the plants on which they are. In appearance, they differ from adult insects not only in small size. The larvae are completely red in color, without black inclusions.

Interesting Facts

In addition to its bright color, the insect is interesting in that:

the poison of the soft beetle has a specific smell;
the red spot on the pronotum in each beetle is individual, like fingerprints or auricle in humans;
the insect is not afraid of temperature changes, in temperate latitudes the beetle feels great;
not afraid of insects and birds of prey, the main defense is poison;
the ability to pretend to be dead in case of danger can become a lifesaver for a firefighter;
the insect is an excellent analogue of the chemical treatment of garden plants from pests;
the beetle has no upper lip;
it is not difficult to catch a beetle in flight, its movement speed is not high.

A firefighter beetle in the garden and on the garden plot will bring many benefits to rid the plants of aphids, help to cope with caterpillars and flies. However, a large number of insects can ruin the harvest of some stone fruits, it is advisable to track their numbers.

Attraction of soft beetles

For beetles, firefighters to become regulars and defenders of your site, especially difficult measures do not need to be applied. All actions aimed at conducting natural farming are excellent in attracting these beneficial insects.

We just need to act as it happens in nature:

Do not dig soil in the area.
Do not rake the leaves under wintering trees and shrubs, and it is absolutely impossible to burn them, losing not only useful organic matter, but also natural defenders.
Do not use pesticides in the garden and vegetable garden, destroying all living things, and in the end, us and our loved ones.

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

Thrips are ubiquitous pests

Outwardly unusual thrips cause colossal harm to the garden. Their colonies deprive plants of cell sap. Insects are not easy to spot. Many people mistake thrips, which are only 0.5-1.5 mm long, for black specks or seeds. And the translucent larvae are even more difficult to spot. Pests feed on almost all types of garden plants. They prefer to settle on the back of the leaves, so check the plants regularly for insects.

Getting rid of thrips is very difficult because folk methods of struggle almost do not damage them. At the beginning of the lesion, you can try to spray the plants with infusion of garlic and dandelion. To do this, soak 1 kg of dandelions in a bucket of water, after 2 days add 4-5 chopped heads of garlic to the infusion. Let the liquid sit for several hours, strain and spray the plants. The infusion is also useful for combating spider mites.

Finally, insecticides will help to cope with pests: Fitoverm, Konfidor, Aktellik.

What to consider when buying a plot

A FORUMHOUSE member with the nickname Directory, a fire inspector, told several stories that actually happened, which prove: you can never relax, safety should be put at the forefront!

Population and status of the species

Photo: beetle firefighter

The soft beetle family is one of the most numerous. Today it numbers about four thousand beetles, among which fire beetles are considered one of the most common. The "red" beetle is widely represented in various parts of the world. It is found wherever a temperate or even cool climate remains. It is impossible to determine the exact number of such beetles. However, according to the latest data, the population of this insect species is not threatened with even the minimum probability of extinction.

The number of firefighters in the natural habitat is unstable, but numerous. Instability usually occurs when humans kill these insects on huge farmlands. However, even this does not threaten the total number of firefighters. These beetles live little, but they reproduce successfully. From year to year, they are rapidly increasing their number.

Firefighter beetles are dangerous only in case of overpopulation of the territory. When their population in one place is small, then such an insect can be of great benefit. It effectively destroys small garden pests. Firefighters eat caterpillars, aphids, various beetles, mosquitoes. It is a safe and completely free "remedy" for the protection of trees, bushes and plants.

The firefighter beetle is a prominent representative of a large family of soft beetles. This is a unique creature that looks very much like a fire engine. This insect, subject to a normal population, can be of great benefit to gardeners and gardeners. It eats almost all the most common pests, while itself does not cause significant harm to plants.

A characteristic feature of the firefighter beetle

A characteristic feature of the fire beetle is a red or orange belly. The elytra are black or dark gray. Thanks to this color, the beetle resembles a fire engine. This is most likely why they called the beetle a firefighter.However, in English-speaking countries, the village soft beetle was nicknamed the Soldier beetle, apparently again because of their bright red color, similar to the uniforms of the British Royal Guards and Beefeaters.

Sometimes in our latitudes you can hear such a name, and sometimes you can get confused in them, so it is best to focus on the names from the taxonomy - village soft beetle, red-footed. But as for color, in nature, red always means danger, with its color the fire beetle, as it were, informs its enemies that it has a dangerous weapon and it is better not to touch it.

On the pronotum, the soft body has a dark symmetrical spot, similar to a heart, but with an individual shape in each member of the species.

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 large.

How to get rid of soldier bugs in the garden?

If the gardener noticed that soldier bugs appeared on his site, how to get rid of them correctly and without harm to your own health? Consider several ways in which such a struggle can be waged.

Knowing what the beetle eats, you can minimize the plants it loves. So, simple weed removal will be a good prevention. If this is not a garden bed, but a lawn, you need to mow the grass at least once a week. Moreover, the collected shoots with roots are best not folded, but immediately burned. This is especially true of wormwood and quinoa, which can often contain bedbugs.

When planning a summer cottage, it is better to plant legumes and alfalfa at a distance from other plants. These crops are preferred by bugs for wintering. And in the spring, insects can quickly crawl onto something more edible.

A simple and harmless way to humans would be to plant a black cohosh in the garden. The specific smell of this plant is able to scare away insects and minimize the harm they cause.

If you are just a beginner and a gardener and there are weeds growing next to your beds, it is worth making a strip of land around the perimeter of the plot, on which there will be no plants. Since bedbugs are not flying insects, the land devoid of vegetation will be a serious obstacle for them.

In addition to plants, such a beetle loves the trunks of living trees, as well as dry stumps, boards or logs. If there are similar items on the site, and no one is going to use them, it makes sense to take them out of the garden to another place or destroy them.

In addition to simple remedies and prevention, insect control chemicals are widely used. One of these tools is Bankol. Its advantage is that both adults and larvae die from it. The paralytic effect exerted by it produces an effect within 3 days. It is worth remembering that any chemical preparations are not safe for humans. Therefore, such procedures are carried out in the spring, until the formation of flowers and fruits on the plants.

One of the simple and at the same time laborious processes is the manual collection of beetles. It can be used when several individuals are found and on a small plot of land. But there are some disadvantages: even one or two neglected insects can produce offspring in a short time. Especially if the collected bugs have already laid eggs.

Life cycle

The life span of the wingless bug is 12-14 months. When living in warm regions, two generations of insects appear, in cold regions - one.

The larva of the soldier has a less bright cover.

By the end of August, the soldiers' metabolism slows down, that is, they are preparing for hibernation - suspended animation. After falling asleep, insects survive due to the nutrients accumulated over the summer period and a slowed down metabolism.

Bedbugs awaken in March - April, as soon as the sun begins to warm the earth and the first vegetation appears.Some young individuals and females do not withstand the spring cold and die. In May, adult female bugs lay their eggs. The process of formation of insects takes place in several stages: an egg - a larva - a bug. Newly formed females continue to reproduce in mid - late June.

Population and status of the species

Photo: Colorado potato beetle in Russia

For a century and a half after the discovery and description, the habitat of the Colorado potato beetle has expanded more than two thousand times. As you know, the potato beetle is the main pest of potato plantings not only in large agricultural firms, but also in smaller farms, as well as in private farms. For this reason, even for any summer resident, the question is always relevant, how to get rid of the Colorado potato beetle forever. The fight against Colorado requires a lot of effort.

Today, two types of pest control are most actively used:

chemicals;
folk remedies.

Large areas of potato plantings in large farms are usually treated with special systemic insecticides that do not cause addiction in beetles. They are expensive and highly toxic.

It is important to remember that the last treatment should be carried out no later than 3 weeks before harvest, since harmful toxins accumulate in potato tubers. In the past few years, biological agents have appeared to control the Colorado potato beetle.

Such drugs do not accumulate in shoots and tubers. The biggest disadvantage of this control method is the need to strictly adhere to the number and interval of treatments. To achieve the desired effect, it is necessary to make at least three treatments with an interval of exactly one week.

Chemicals (insecticides, biological action) should be used strictly following the instructions that are always printed on the packaging, following certain rules and always using personal protective equipment. So that gardeners, farmers and agricultural firms do not suffer from pest control, breeders have been working for many years to develop varieties of potatoes and other nightshades that are resistant to the Colorado potato beetle. Moreover, this parameter may depend on a number of factors - the rules of care, the taste of the leaves, etc. Scientists during this time have already made certain conclusions about this.

Breeders have not yet been able to obtain varieties of cultivated plants that the Colorado potato beetle does not eat at all, but we can already talk about some individual factors of resistance. Not the least role in this is played by gene modification technologies, when the genome of another is introduced into the genome of one organism, which completely changes its susceptibility to diseases, pests, and negative weather effects. However, recently in the media, opponents of GMOs have been actively campaigning and developments in this area, if carried out, are not strongly advertised.

When does the insect appear and where does it live?

Usually the soldiers appear as soon as the sun melts the snow to the ground, but here and there there is still a crust, and on the thaw there are already fussing, huddling together in a bunch of soldiers. The soldier's predominant habitat is Eurasia, and most of all, the European continent is preferable for him.

Some time ago, the soldier bug was not considered a harmful insect at all: he crawled and crawled without disturbing anyone. But science, studying an increasing number of plants, insects and animals, got to him and delivered the verdict - guilty!

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with: How to get rid of a wireworm in the garden forever: an overview of effective methods, videos and reviews

In addition to the fact that soldiers, like aphids, eat juice, are scavengers, recently their aggression has been noticed towards beneficial insects, for example, lacewings.

With the soldiers, everything turns out in the end, like with aphids, the leaves are bent, the shoots stop growing. Photosynthesis decreases, the plant's intake of nutrients decreases, hence the decrease in yield. There are frequent cases when plants attacked by hordes of beetles simply died. And the fruits with berries, streaked with the bites of such insects, look, at least, not at all attractive.

Vine plantations are in a special risk group, and these bugs are seen there, by the way, most often. The strength and strength of the soldiers' proboscis is quite enough to pierce the stems of grapes and the fruits themselves, turning them into something wrinkled and completely unattractive. You need to fight the soldier bugs constantly, and now we will tell you how.

Useful beetles in your garden

Many insects living in your garden are not enemies at all, but friends and helpers. They help fight their harmful counterparts, which means they are involved in preserving your harvest.

ladybugs

These insects are familiar to us from early childhood. "Ladybug, fly to the sky, there your kids eat sweets" - surely every child at least once said these words, referring to a cute beetle with a bright spotted back.

The ladybug is a symbol of good luck in many cultures. The beetle's favorite treat is aphids. From spring to late autumn, ladybugs are engaged in the extermination of this pest, destroying up to 150 individuals per day, and then go to winter, hiding under stones, in the bark of trees and foliage.

Garden ground beetles and their larvae

This beetle is a real long-liver (by the standards of insects), lives for 3-5 years, hiding for the winter in cracks in foundations and in the walls of outbuildings. The diet of garden ground beetles and their larvae includes slugs, worms, eggs of vegetable flies, as well as adults of various small insects.

Please note that there is also a type of ground beetle that is dangerous for the harvest - the ground beetle, or humpbacked peun. This insect is smaller (up to 1.5 cm in length), it has a rich black color and short red antennae.

To attract useful beetles to the site, provide them with "shelter": heaps of sawdust and small stones, pieces of tree bark. It is worth noting that ground beetles are able to defend themselves from birds on their own: when danger approaches, the insect emits a repelling substance.

Firefighter beetle

The soft beetle, more commonly known as the firefighter beetle, is also a reliable pest control aid. These predators attack the prey, gnawing at it with their teeth mercilessly, and literally chew the prey until it dies. In the larval stage, the soft beetle injects a special enzyme into the victim's body, and then sucks out the liquid from the prey.

Fire beetles feed on insects that are smaller in size and also have a soft body (individuals with a dense chitinous cover are too tough for them). The diet includes various caterpillars, worms, centipedes, aphids, leaf beetles, etc. In order not to exterminate useful soft beetles on your site, refuse to use pesticides.

With a large congestion, fire beetles can begin to eat plant food, damaging leaves, buds and petals. In this case, insects from the defenders of the garden and vegetable garden turn into pests.

Ordinary earwig

The unusual appearance of this insect is disgusting for many. And all because on the tail of the earwig there are tick-like appendages, which makes it look like a space alien from science fiction films. And in a defensive position, this insect completely looks like a scorpion, raising its tail and pulling it forward. Because of this feature, the earwig is also known as the "two-tailed" earwig.

At night, these predators go hunting, successfully helping summer residents to cope with the invasion of aphids, ticks and other pests. The earwig also eats the spores of pathogenic fungi. This useful insect has one drawback: in pursuit of prey (for example, dahlia wood lice), it can damage young shoots of a bush.

To draw the attention of an earwig to a tree that needs its protection, hang a pot filled with sawdust or shavings on a branch of such a tree - a two-tail will like such a dwelling

Anthocoris bug

Even bedbugs can be beneficial in at least some species. So, the predatory bug antokoris is the "thunderstorm" of the sawfly beetle, since it destroys the egg-laying of this pest, sucking out the contents of the eggs. Do not disdain bedbugs and aphids, as well as small caterpillars.

Anthocoris's brother, the perillus bug, is not averse to feasting on the Colorado potato beetle, which greatly helps in the fight against this harmful insect. A distinctive feature of most useful bugs is an elongated body, long limbs and greater mobility compared to herbivorous, and therefore harmful to the garden, species.

Nutrition and behavior

Fire beetles are predators. They attack everyone who is smaller than them and has a soft body: they are not able to cope with the hard chitinous cover.

Soft beetles kill prey with sharp mandibles and poisonous liquid, making several indiscriminate bites. They have a bulldog grip. If a beetle clings to a person's finger, then it is rather difficult to unclench his jaws.

Fire beetles are predators. They attack everyone who is smaller than them and has a soft body: they are not able to cope with the hard chitinous cover.

Methods of dealing with bedbugs by soldiers

Before processing, you should make sure that it is the firebugs that are in charge of the site. This becomes clear from the obvious signs of the appearance of parasites.

Here they are:

flowers and buds of plants fall off for no apparent reason.
Cabbage leaves die off or become covered with yellow spots.
Beet tops are rolled into a tube.
Umbellate plants dry up.

If the presence of soldiers is not in doubt, you should immediately start destroying them. The ideal time for pest control is early spring, since an unplanned area is the easiest to chemical treatment.

A great way to get rid of parasites is to regularly mow perennial weeds (for example, wormwood, quinoa). Firefighters often lay their larvae on the leaves of these plants, so such a radical technique will help prevent secondary infection.

Chemicals

You need to get rid of soldier bugs without delay, as they multiply very quickly and lay eggs. For thorough processing, special insecticides are used.

Chemicals are often sold in powder form, which must be mixed with a little water. The resulting mass is bred in a bucket of water, then the affected areas are sprayed with this composition.

When choosing an agent against parasites, one should focus on its level of toxicity.The drug must be safe for both humans and bees and animals. An important plus is the absolute decomposition of the chemical without accumulating in the soil.

Please note: pests quickly get used to any insecticides, which will subsequently affect the effectiveness of the treatment. A completely environmentally friendly way is to collect firebugs by hand

This process is quite lengthy and similar to the collection of Colorado potato beetles. In the event that the parasites are wound up on a tree, you can purchase a special device at the hardware store - a hunting belt.

A completely environmentally friendly way is to collect firebugs by hand. This process is quite lengthy and similar to the collection of Colorado potato beetles. If the parasites are on a tree, you can purchase a special device at the hardware store - a hunting belt.

Folk remedies

Chemical insecticides can be replaced with folk remedies.

Here are some recipes that you can use at home:

infusion of onions. For cooking, you need 200 gr. onion peels, which are poured with 10 liters of water. Infuse the mixture for 5 days, then strain. Spray the plantings of trees and shrubs affected by a bug with the resulting composition. The frequency of such processing is once every 5-6 days.
Mustard solution. It is necessary to fill in 100 gr. dry mustard powder. Bring the mass to the state of porridge, then dissolve in 10 liters of water. Use the resulting spray solution.
Soap solution. To prepare it, you need to dissolve a certain amount of laundry soap (250-300 gr.) In 10 liters of water, and spray the plants in the garden with this composition.

The last remedy is considered one of the most effective in the fight against soldier bugs. In addition, the soap solution repels many other pests.

If there is a grassy lawn on the site, parasites can settle on it.

For such situations, the process of getting rid of bedbugs is as follows:

tidy up the site, cut the grass.
Sprinkle laundry soap on the grass.
Water the lawn to help dissolve the soap.

After treating the lawn in this way, it should be covered with a piece of flannel material. Firebugs will move from grass to fabric, where they can later be caught and destroyed.

Biological description

Firefighter beetle, or village soft beetle (Cantharis rustica)
Our firefighter beetle has a long body. It reaches 1.5-2 centimeters in length. His paws are black. Antennae are filament-like and consist of 11 segments.

Firefighter beetle (Cantharis rustica) or rustic beetle, red-footed

Gardeners use a variety of biological treatments for garden bugs. If there are soldier bugs on the territory of the estate, how to get rid of them with the help of plants, soap, ash, vinegar and kerosene?

Methods for using effective biological agents:

Laundry soap. In 10 liters of liquid, 1.5 packs of soap are diluted. Plants are irrigated with this liquid.
Onion infusion. Husk (200 g) is poured with 10 liters of water, insisted for 5 days. Spraying of crops is carried out 1 time in 5 days
Sarepta mustard. Mustard powder (100 g) is diluted with water until smooth. A solution is prepared for spraying - the mustard gruel is poured into a bucket of water, mixed
Wood ash. To treat plants, ash should be diluted in water.
Birds. Birds are attracted to gardens and vegetable gardens
Sagebrush. Grass (dried or freshly harvested) is spread throughout the house, in places where soldier bugs accumulate
Vinegar, turpentine, camphor and kerosene. Aggressive means are used to treat plinths, baseboards, beds and other areas where redbirds have built nests

Our firefighter beetle has a long body.

It reaches 1.5-2 centimeters in length. His paws are black. Antennae are filament-like and consist of 11 segments.

Distinctive characteristics

The soldier bug is not the only name for this bug. For its unusual color (patterns, spots with black dots on a red background), it is also called a firefighter. And the absence of hind wings explains the third name - wingless redbird.

The soldier bug looks like an ordinary ground bug with a characteristic pattern on the back.

The dimensions of the bug do not exceed 8-10 mm, and the body has a rounded, slightly flattened shape. Instead of a mouth, the soldier has a kind of proboscis.

However, only a description of the appearance can not give a complete description of this bug. It is not for nothing that it is called the harbinger of spring, because bugs with a red back and black stripes are among the first to emerge from shelters after the winter cold.

Insects carry out their life in groups.

Small colonies of firebugs are found in various places:

by the fallen trees.
Along the fences.
In the piles of wood.
Etc.

Striped bugs always cluster on an open surface as close to sunlight as possible.

For hibernation, which lasts all winter, bedbugs prepare thoroughly, choosing in advance dry cracks in fences, old houses, tree trunks.

The soldier bug is visually very similar to the firefighter beetle.

Insects can be distinguished by the following features:

the shape of the body (in the beetle it is more elongated).
The specific aroma inherent in bedbugs.
The ability to fly, which the fire beetle can boast of.

The latter protects plantings from pests, to which the wingless redbug belongs. This type of bugs in the apartment appears extremely rarely.

Reasons for the appearance

The main reasons for the appearance of soldier bugs on the site include:

rotten stumps in the garden;
dried plants;
heaps of dry debris and leaves;
a large number of weeds, especially quinoa and wormwood;
legumes;
woodpiles;
alfalfa in your garden or neighbors;
cultivation of carrots, cabbage, beets, currants on the site.

Insects are especially fond of alfalfa. To get rid of the larvae, it is necessary to uproot the weed and burn it.

All gardeners have a soldier bug

Insects often nest in legumes and alfalfa to ride out the winter cold.

In some cases, bugs can appear in an apartment, more often in a private house. In the presence of indoor flowers, seedlings or other vegetation, insects will multiply very quickly. There is a tendency that when one soldier appears, other relatives come running after him. In the absence of food, they die or go to other places.

Control measures

So, the bugs appeared, here is one, the second one crawled along the birch - it's time to sound the alarm! But you shouldn't rush to the store and buy drugs containing chemistry at breakneck speed, maybe we can get by with folk remedies for now?

The simplest of them are decoctions of onions (250 g per bucket of water, the norm per square meter of soil of infected plants), wood ash (200 g per bucket of water, this is also a tolerable potash feeding and also the norm per square meter of infected plants), mustard powder (100 g per bucket of water, the norm per square meter of infected plants), laundry soap (you can have a whole piece, at the rate per square meter of infected plants).

Planting a cimicifuga on the site (especially for readers of Botanichka is a plant belonging to the Buttercup family), or a black cohosh (here the name speaks for itself) can also help. For some unknown reason, the soldiers feel bad from this smell of these plants, and they try to organize a base in a neighboring area, leaving yours alone.

Next comes a little more powerful artillery, but still biological. This is the drug Baikal, it must be diluted in strict accordance with the instructions on the package, but usually six milliliters are diluted in a bucket of water, filled with a spray bottle and point-treated beetles or infected areas of crops.

Chemicals.Here you need to be careful - serious chemistry requires compliance with the mandatory terms of treatments, doses, drugs must be approved for use, and so on and so forth. More recently, Karbofos and Aktara effectively fought against the beetle, they caused paralysis in insects and they simply died.

Does a soldier bite a bug?

What to do if a human soldier has bitten a bug? His mouth apparatus is not intended for bites and bloodletting, therefore, for all warm-blooded animals, including humans, in this respect it is not dangerous. However, for close proximity, this is still not the best option, because can damage all living plants in the apartment and quickly organize their own settlement (colony) - if he accidentally wandered into your home (one or more), it is better to get rid of him. It is not difficult to detect it, since it does not hide and is always in an accessible place.

Bedbug red soldier what eats

Insects feed on plant sap, in their diet they are not particularly pretentious - it can be both weeds and cultivated plants. The red beetle is considered a pest; in large colonies, these beetles are capable of causing significant damage to plantings and seedlings. When breeding, they lay eggs in the stems of perennial plants, grapes especially suffer from their attacks, therefore gardeners, especially those who are engaged in the selection and breeding of elite garden crops, prefer to get rid of the pest in a short time (it causes harm).

What eats

Soldier bugs feed on seeds, sap of plants and fruits, the remains of other insects. They get food closer to the ground, they will climb a tall tree only as a last resort. In the absence of sufficient food, bedbugs feed on weeds and even their relatives.

Red bugs have a powerful proboscis that can pierce fairly hard shoots and plant seeds. Insects are not capable of harming humans. The proboscis cannot pierce the skin of an adult or child.

Small larvae feed only on the juice of young shoots. The oral apparatus is not fully developed, and insects are not able to pierce other plants.

Soldier bugs, like all representatives of the species, have odor glands. In adult insects, they are located on the chest, in larvae, on the abdomen closer to the dorsal part.

ladybug

A pot-bellied red beetle with black dots on its back is familiar not only to those who work on the ground. Its charismatic appearance inspires even venerable designers. Cartoons and fairy tales are made about this insect. Often it becomes the hero of photo shoots and thematic programs.

And gardeners know for sure: the ladybug is an insect whose role in the garden can hardly be overestimated. Both larvae and adult beetles feed on aphids, destroying huge hordes of these pests during their short life.

In nature, there are about a hundred species of this insect, and they are all predators. In our area, the most common large red ladybug. This insect can reach a length of 9 mm. It feeds on deciduous aphids.

Fluffy insects, similar to bees, are completely harmless. They are of great benefit to the garden. Osmias are sent to collect nectar even in such weather, in which an ordinary domestic bee will not take up work. If you want these toilers to settle in your garden, get a thatched roof or just place a few pieces of wood with drilled holes on the plot. They love osmium and elderberry branches without a core. This is just the perfect home for them.

This beneficial insect can settle in the most unexpected place: in a hole from an old nail or in a door slot.

Many people take them for bumblebees, but in fact, bumblebees are very useful insects in the garden. They are well adapted to the harsh northern living conditions, so they work even where other pollinators are not found.

With long proboscis they extract nectar even from plants with narrow corollas, inaccessible to other insects.

Collecting nectar, bumblebees carry pollen, and do it very quickly. Entomologists have calculated that the field bumblebee visits more than 2.5 thousand plants in one flight.

In many gardens, the ground beetle is found from April to the end of October. They are predators that feed on eggs, caterpillars, pupae and adults of many garden pests. In a day, one ground beetle can destroy three or five gooseberry moth larvae, up to ten sawfly larvae, and about a hundred gall midge larvae.

The ground beetle hunts at night, and is rare during the day. These insects spend winter in the soil.

Even more voracious than adults, "kids" cause significant damage to the populations of many harmful insects. They feed on fly eggs, moth worms, slugs. Many other parasite larvae also get to them for a snack.

Ground beetles and their growing offspring will gladly settle in sawdust or shavings, fallen leaves. Arrange for them a couple of shelters on the site, and soon you will have faithful garden helpers in their face.

Memo for American Homeowners

Here are some guidelines firefighters give to homeowners in Arizona:

No tree branches should hang over the roof and over the wires. Very often it is they who transfer the fire to the house from outside the site. From the forest or from neighbors.
Whatever your inner esthete says, quickly remove fallen leaves, and not only in the fall: those that attacked in the summer should also be removed immediately. If the leaves have dried directly on trees or shrubs, prune them along with the branches.
The roof and gutters should ALWAYS be kept clean. No dry leaves, grass, twigs - nothing that can catch fire.
All these dry cereals and other plants that look great in rockeries and natural-style gardens are great at spreading fire. By eliminating them, we reduce the threat of fire.
Do not forget about regular sanitary pruning of shrubs and trees, cut off dry branches, especially those that are no higher than two meters from the ground. This will give the tree a better chance of not catching fire when the fire hits the dry grass.
The fire hose and pump should be checked regularly so that they do not fail at the right time.
Another point that many homeowners are surprisingly careless about: fuel spills. When refueling garden equipment, you must be as careful as possible, and if the fuel still spills, then all stains must be thoroughly washed off immediately.

Destruction

Whoever has not been convinced by the previous lines of the author is dedicated to this last part of our story. It will focus on how to deal with a firefighter beetle.

The simplest thing is to collect the red-legged soft beetles by hand and hand them over to a neighbor who has been tortured by aphids. At the same time, be careful, firefighter beetles are dangerous because the bites of their strong jaws are quite painful.

The second method of struggle, 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 the cheapest cigarettes - 1 part;
wood ash - 3 parts;
red hot pepper;
fragrant spices like Provencal herbs or hops-suneli.

Add the last two components "to taste", a small pinch at a time. Thickly sprinkle the damaged plantings with the resulting powder. An unfamiliar acrid smell is designed to scare away insects and not let them into the site.

Those who are not suitable for a gentle natural way of fighting can use more radical methods. "Experienced" beetle fighters, firemen, recommend using the "Mashenka" chalk, which is popular with cockroaches and their owners. It should be crushed into fine dust and the borders of the quarantine area should be powdered.