Fire bugs often appear in large flocks in the garden. But are the bugs poisonous and do you have to fight them? We have helpful tips ready for you.
The fire bug (Pyrrhocoris apterus) is a native species of bug whose name comes from its bright red shield. In spring, when the sun shines longer again, large numbers of fire bugs emerge from their burrows (usually under leaves or pieces of bark) to wake up from hibernation on warmed-up places such as stones or tree trunks.
Fire Bugs: Harmful, Dangerous or Toxic?
Fire bugs have few natural enemies. They are at the bottom of the menu for birds as they seem to have a very bitter taste and also use their warning color to signal that they want to be left alone.
The animals are not poisonous and do not spray any caustic liquid. However, if touched, they can emit a foul-smelling secretion when threatened.
They take in their food in liquid form through a proboscis. For ingestion, their proboscis pierces the husk of fallen seeds or fruit, leaving behind a decomposing secretion and then sucking in the resultant nutrient-rich juice.
Fire bugs prefer linden trees (Tilia) and mallow plants (Malvaceae), especially hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) ) and the shrub marshmallow (Hibiscus syriacus). But dead insects are also occasionally used as a food source.
In general, fire bugs are not considered a threat to plant he alth. However, if the fiery red pest is particularly high, it can lead to increased feeding damage to the buds of your beloved rose family. That usually remains - thank God - but the exception.
Fire Bugs in the Garden: To Fight or Not?
You don't usually have to fight fire bugs (Pyrrhocoris apterus). They cannot sting humans and they do not pose any other danger. Only when you touch them and tease them do they emit the foul-smelling secretions.
Get lostIf lone firebugs come into the house, it's easy to catch them with a piece of paper and an upside-down glass and carry them out again.
However, they often appear in large flocks, which can become quite annoying in the long run (that's why they are sometimes referred to as "nuisances"). For example, if they gather on house walls or on terraces on sunny days or besiege entire bushes in the garden, then you might want to break up such a "gathering" from time to time.
The use of chemical agents or natural contact insecticides is still not recommended. If you try to get rid of fire bugs with chemicals, you are also endangering other beneficial insects in the garden.
A natural but effective way to combat fire bugs is to mix half a liter of water with one to two tablespoons of dish soap. Both are placed in a spray bottle. The nests or accumulations are sprayed with it so that the animals die within a short time. But even this "home remedy" must be used carefully and purposefully.
Repel Fire Bugs
If you want to spare the little animals, but still want to compliment them from your garden, then the only thing that will help is a broom and dustpan and a place far away from the garden.
However, if you have mallow trees (Malvaceae) and linden trees (Tilia) in your garden, you will almost certainly be visited again soon Get fire bugs.
Our tip: Take it easy and simply tolerate the red shield bearers.
Fire Bugs: Profile of an Important Insect
The fire bug (Pyrrhocoris apterus) is a native species of bug. It is distributed almost everywhere in Europe and also in large parts of Asia with over 300 species.
It is also popularly known as the cobbler beetle or fire beetle, although it is not actually a beetle. Its distinctive coloration, consisting of a bright red shield with a black pattern and a black head, may also have given it its name.
Their body reaches a length of up to 12 millimeters. Firebugs feed on seeds (preferably seeds of Lime Tree (Tilia)). Their mouthpart is a proboscis, which they use to pierce the seeds, releasing a decomposing secretion into them and then the juicesuck out Other dead insects are also on their menu.
The fire bugs overwinter protected on the ground under stones, bark or leaves. On warm and sunny spring days from mid-March, they come out of their winter quarters and gather in large groups. As a rule, mating takes place in April and May. Copulation can last from several hours to days. A female fire bug mates with multiple males. The males strive to extend the copulation period as long as possible so that no competitor can then mate with the same female. That's why you can often see how two fire bugs seem to hang together endlessly.
Shortly after mating, the females lay between 60 and 80 eggs under stones or leaves. The hatched larvae molt five times until they are fully grown. Only one new generation is formed each year, with an average lifespan of 14 months. When temperatures drop to -15°C or even below during very cold winters, many animals do not survive.
Tip: Fire bugs are often confused with the less common fire beetles. In our special article we present the insect in more detail.