hoverfrog Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 we seem to have overgrown woodworm with voracious appetites in a lot of the ancient wood that has been stacked in the barns for quite a few years. They tend to tunnel along the grain, and are 2 - 3 mm long if you can find one (how do they got to squish so liquidly when all they eat is dry wood???). The flight holes are a bit bigger than the normal woodworm holes too. We've found the tunnels in the edges of doors (also in the barn - there are no internal doors in the house, and now we know why!)No panic, we're treating everything that we can, but would like an identification! Oh, and a use for hardwood, well seasoned 6' slices of tree-trunk 3-4" thick with a few holes...Also, there are a lot of black and red 'bugs' that have 'come out of the woodwork' (oh how that phrase takes on new meanings here!!) with the advent of the 'warmer' weather (pant pant - it's bloomin hot!). They are about the same size as ladybirds but elongated and not shiny, and have two distinct large black dots as well as several smaller ones.We are also overun with what we think are lizards now the sun has come out - the OH says gheckos but I think lizards as I alway thought gheckos had round toes...We also have a kind of almost octagonal flattish beetle that can fly - looks prehistoric, greenish black pattern. We have been told they are harmless but I don't trust any of them... Spiders? Why was I ever worried about them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babnik Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 The black and red bugs are Fire Bugs. Do a search for Fire Bug in google! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 "We also have a kind of almost octagonal flattish beetle that can fly - looks prehistoric, greenish black pattern. We have been told they are harmless but I don't trust any of them..."These sound like shield bugs to me. Harmless except they can smell bad - they eat other insects.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJSLIV Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 but would like an identificationhttp://www.termites-info.com/ ??????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plato comes homePlato Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 My daughter..a quite senior horticulturist and supervisor (and so I imagine knows something)..says"don't kill them dad they are good for the garden.."Sure they eat plants but placements of plants and associations of plants limit damage...Do they not...I'd concentrate on restoration work and mulch and getting worms to work so that plants themselved become strong and healthy...overwatering is a neurosis of gardening types...but don't sail boots and all into bug genoicide...I would be happy to learn more on this subject...even though I have a "resident expert" because she is busy!!Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaysBasque Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 On the wood eating bugs I tend to agree with BJSLIV, and I would recommend you get an expert in straight away. As for the octagonal bugs, they are Weevils in English or Punaises in French and they do stink! They are also very fond of rice. So if you store your rice in bags rather than closed containers be careful. Other than that they are harmless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoverfrog Posted March 19, 2005 Author Share Posted March 19, 2005 Many thanks to all who responded - and I'm glad that most of the bugs are harmless! Definitely fire bugs - and so many of them!It's not termites, I'm sure of that, as even if the surveyor had been totally inept and missed them they look nothing like the picture on the link that was posted. The one I squished was 3-4 mm long, blunt at the 'head' end and tapering slightly at the other. It was a yellowy colour - but that may have been because it was eating a yellowy coloured pine at the time...Looked like a leech, but the 'head' end was eating the wood. Leaves a very fine dust - like woodworm. Maybe it's just overfed woodworm?? I've never actually seen a woodworm before, just the adults when they emerge, but they do seem bigger here somehow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJSLIV Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Some more pin-ups of termites http://www.expar.fr/parasites/termites.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcazar Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Shield bugs can look quite frightening, and can come in all sorts of colours from bright green to grey/brown.They ARE quite harmless, once you get used to the pointy "fierce" looking frontsAlcazar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoverfrog Posted March 20, 2005 Author Share Posted March 20, 2005 I'm getting used to the shield bugs, and even the fire bugs now I know they're harmless, but I must admit the sudden influx of insect life with the warm weather got me a bit unnerved!Definitely not termites - no legs.Hopefully the new chickens will eat some bugs - and the numerous lizards too.Today we had the largest bumble-bee I've ever seen - maybe all the bugs are bigger here!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Me0wp00 Posted March 20, 2005 Share Posted March 20, 2005 the shield bugs we call smelly bugs, but I don't think they are harmless, infact one has just given me a nasty sting with its antennae while I've been sitting at my pc.Also hate the damn noise of them buzzing. I'd also hope one doesnt bite my baby, not sure he'd appreciate it.The smell when you kill them is gross.When we were in Nice they were almost bright green, think its something to do with the sun because here at the moment they are greyey colour.And what bugs do they eat because they definitely don't eat flies !!!A stingy pippa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcazar Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 <<Today we had the largest bumble-bee I've ever seen - maybe all the bugs are bigger here!!>>Hah! Wait 'tll you see a "giant wood wasp"!Looks JUST like a normal wasp, except that it's legs and antennae are red, the red of red ants.Oh, and they are anywhere between 4-6 cm long!!!Dunno if they sting, but they LOOK mighty fierce.I DO know they are solitary, so you won't have a nest in the garden..................Alcazar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CD Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Oh! So they're not called "African-Mask-Beetles" then?That's a shame! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Hoare<br>All the best<br>Ian<br>La Souvigne Corrèze<br>http:www.souvigne.com Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Hi,Try a Google under the name of "Stink Bug".As for the wood boring beetle, there are lots. The two you really need to worry about (in the house) are death watch beetle (forget the French for it) and Longhorn beetle (Capricorn). They're both particularly nasty because they live a long time in the wood before finally making their way out as nymphs. By that time they've chomped their way from one end to the other several times, never emerging so most treatment, which is on the surface doesn't touch them until they emerge, by which time they've done their damage. Capricorn leave an oval hole, abt 3mm by 2mm, so they're easy to recognise. Sometimes you see some enormous holes, they are only made in living wood, so aren't worth worrying about. Caused by the Carpenter Bee, which is a blue/black bee abt twice the size of the Uk's largest Bumblebee. HTH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 "and the numerous lizards too."Look on the bright side - plenty of lizards may mean that you don't have many snakes !Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suninfrance Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Got loads of the octagonal bugs - they seem to like sleeping on my side of the bed - had to flick three off and evict them out of the window last night.What about the bees - so many different varieties. Loads of the "blue" bees about at the moment which I gather are carpenter bees, but what of the little ones with the red bottoms that seem to be nesting in my window frame.As for lizards - saw a beautiful lime green one with a blue throat yesterday - any ideas.Normal lizards are now getting used to having their photo taken (although this one looks a bit cross), but still don't know their correct name. Any help?Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benson Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 are shield bugs also called 'leaf bugs'? and the fire bugs are they what the french call 'Gendarme'?On to a different creature, Whats the biggest beetle you have ever seen? Last summer I saw a beetle that was as long as my foot (size 7!!) No one else believes me but luckily my daughter was with me so I know i'm not going mad! Any ideas on what sort of beetle this was? It gave us quite a fright! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoverfrog Posted March 28, 2005 Author Share Posted March 28, 2005 a beetle as long as your foot??? The OH says it must be a f*****g big one! Found an enormous insect larvae today in a tree stump I dug up - luckily the chickens thought it was good fodder! 6 legs, beetle-y head, white larval body. Hope it's not frelons as there was an old nest in the attic....The lizards have given me the biggest fright so far - we were watching a (non-scary) film in the evening and one crawled over my hand!We have so many fire-bugs and shield bugs and lizards, all who eat other bugs, that I'm wondering where the 'other' bugs are! - oh, and what they might be. Hope they are all smaller anyway!Does anyone know if bats are protected in France? our 'cave' is filled with them, and we need to spray insecticide partout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted March 29, 2005 Share Posted March 29, 2005 Bats - to the best of my knowledge they are protected so do not spray. They will also do a better job of clearing bugs than the spray. They should move to the summer roost in a few weeks so you should be able to spray then. Do not disturb them if they are not yet flying as this can kill them if they are not fully out of hibernation.Found an enormous insect larvae today in a tree stump I dug up - luckily the chickens thought it was good fodder! 6 legs, beetle-y head, white larval body.The above sounds like you have fed your chickens a stag beetle larve. They live for a few years in old tree stumps and are very important to the ecology of the area (in the UK they are having to make oak log circles to tempt them back). Would suggest that very large larva with legs in old logs should be left alone - not everything is 'bad' and we seem bent on wanton destruction of the few things left that are good. Frelons are hornets - why would you imagine that they would have larva in a log? Now if anyone can tell me how to get rid of the swarms of ruddy wasps that are starting to appear I would be grateful. The frelons kept them down last year but luckily I have not see one so far this year but have heard them buzzing about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoverfrog Posted March 29, 2005 Author Share Posted March 29, 2005 probably beacuse after finding the old nest I'm paranoid Oh yes, and it looked sortof stripey through the skin.We found some in the UK last year overwintering in compost - but of course you're right, the larvae would be in a nest.Chicken fodder or bonfire fodder... hmm, chickens win! Had to dig up the tree-stumps in any case. I'm sure there will be plenty more - after being uninhabited for so the wildlife has taken over (or the inmates have taken over the asylum!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Avery Posted March 29, 2005 Share Posted March 29, 2005 [quote]I'm getting used to the shield bugs, and even the fire bugs now I know they're harmless, but I must admit the sudden influx of insect life with the warm weather got me a bit unnerved!Definitely not te...[/quote]"Hopefully the new chickens will eat some bugs - and the numerous lizards too" If your chickens eat all your lizards then what will eat your flies???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoverfrog Posted March 29, 2005 Author Share Posted March 29, 2005 LOL!The dog has tried catching lizards without success, although the fieldmouse population in the 'lawn' has been reduced by her!I remember seeing pretty pictures of fieldmice making nests in the wheatfields in books as a child, intertwining the corn stalks. I didn't realise what a pest they can be - our 'lawn' is riddled with burrows, and now looks like a battlefield as the dog digs up the offenders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flower Posted April 11, 2005 Share Posted April 11, 2005 Hi all,Can anyone tell me what my bug is? It's a gingery colour, long thin body, with 26 thin legs (might be 24 and 2 feelers). Range from about 1cm to 5cm long and they run very fast. We get loads of them in our house but not always in the same place so haven't located a nest. I woke up with one clinging to my arm once and they are the most horrid bug I've come across. Would just like to know in case they are harmful in anyway as we have 2 young children.Thanks everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Hoare<br>All the best<br>Ian<br>La Souvigne Corrèze<br>http:www.souvigne.com Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 [quote]Hi all, Can anyone tell me what my bug is? It's a gingery colour, long thin body, with 26 thin legs (might be 24 and 2 feelers). Range from about 1cm to 5cm long and they run very fast. We get loads ...[/quote]Hi FlowerCan anyone tell me what my bug is? It's a gingery colour, long thin body, with 26 thin legs (might be 24 and 2 feelers). Range from about 1cm to 5cm long and they run very fast.Sounds very much like centipedes to me. Do they have sort of antennae on the tail, sticking up in a V shape?I found some pictures on Google http://www.petbugs.com/caresheets/S-cingulata.htmlis a reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcazar Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 Sounds like a centipede to me too.When my youngest lad was about 5, he came in one day and asked if he could have a hammer.Intrigued, I asked what for.He replied, "I lifted up a brick in the garden, and there were some centimetres underneath it, and I want to kill them".He also once saw a large bird, a "blizzard" he thought, sitting on a fence post!Alcazar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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