These slender, soft-bodied beetles are brown or black and trimmed like a soldier’s uniform—with red, yellow, or orange. There are a few predators that naturally eat soldier beetles. Then they hibernate in the soil when winter comes and stay in there until spring. You’ll find them most active throughout the summer to autumn as this is when they mate, eat, and deposit eggs. The ecosystem will balance when you adjust the food availability. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. And this is completely natural. 8. This usually consists of the male beetle guarding the female, or they can be found mating. They’ll mate, eat, and wait for prey as the plant offers them everything they need. Since the adult females deposit eggs around the same time for that generation, you can expect that the adults will hatch within days of each other. Soldier beetles tend to leave the area by themselves and you don’t need to do anything. If anything, you should consider them to be a natural predator that helps control other bugs in your yard. And they work for you 24/7. Note that neem oil can be destructive to plants if used in high concentrations, so you need to use it as directed. Larvae overwinter in damp soil and debris or loose bark. Although they have chewing parts in their mouth, they rarely do enough damage to do permanent damage to your plants. Adult females lay their eggs in clusters in the soil. Soldier beetles have life cycles similar to any other beetle. Pesticide recommendations in this publication are registered for use in Kentucky, USA ONLY! You can get rid of them in your house just by blocking them out. Also, test it on a single flower before applying to the entire plant. Dr. Subba Reddy PalliDepartment Chair & State EntomologistS-225 Agricultural Science Center NorthLexington, KY 40546-0091859.257.7450entchair@uky.edu, UK Entomology: Vision, Mission, & Core Values, Nancy Cox, Ph.D. Your email address will not be published. These beetles don’t hang around your yard all year round, so even if you can’t get rid of them all, they’ll be gone by the winter. Extension is expanding its online education and resources to adapt to COVID-19 restrictions. They protect themselves by secreting defensive chemical compounds to make them a less attractive target for predators. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/animal/soldier-beetle, Texas A&M Agri Life Extension - Spined Soldier Bug. ), How to Get Rid of Bats Naturally (Little & Big Brown…, How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants Naturally (Ultimate Guide). Some Soldier Beetles are paler orange, almost yellow. They’re often described as “worms” or “caterpillars,” though neither are correct terms. Weather-stripping and caulking will pest-proof a home. Whether they actually work or not seems to be debatable. Adults feed on aphids and other soft-bodied insects, but … Another group of beetles that may be confused with soldier beetles are the blister beetles, which are pests, but blister beetles have a square-shaped head and a very visible"neck." In the air they’re often thought to be wasps and quickly shooed away. Belonging to family Cantharidae, soldier beetles have soft, elongated bodies and can mostly be found on flowers. No breeding activity. Regardless, they are “green” as they don’t use any harmful chemicals and only rely on emitting a high-frequency sound that humans can’t hear. They look like wasps or bees moving quickly and often between flowers. Yes, these are considered good for the garden. They come out when the temperatures pick up and will be active in your flowering buds, trees, and shrubs. They are active through August and into September. Attracting Soldier Beetles to the Garden. Soldier beetles are commonly mistaken as other, less beneficial, insects in the garden. If you have a pest problem that’s not covered here, feel free to contact me and let me know. Colors of soldier beetles vary from yellow to red with brown or black wings or trim. Since the larvae consume eggs and larvae of other bugs, keeping your yard maintained overall will reduce the number of pests. And if you have questions, post a comment and let me know. Currently an active researcher in the pest control industry for the past 8 years- with a focus on using natural and organic methods to eliminate pest problems. However, sometimes their population can become quite high and this is when you may need to step in and control them. They may be confused with, After the springtime comes and the weather warms up, the beetles emerge as adults and will look for flowers that are brightly colored. The larvae will eat eggs of other pests in your yard, which actually make their larvae beneficial compared to other bugs. Research / If they had plenty of food and a low number of predators or threats, this leads to high fecundity. Then, they’ll fight and wrestle with their prey as they consume them. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! The genus Euschistus includes several species of stink bugs that are similar in appearance and biology to H. halys. Fireflies As Pest Control – How Are Fireflies Beneficial To Gardens, Identifying Soldier Beetles: Finding Soldier Beetle Larvae In Gardens, Parasitic Wasp Identification: How To Find Parasitic Wasp Larvae And Eggs, Beginner Garden Tips: Getting Started With Gardening, Homemade Syrups – Making Syrups For Immune Health, Gardening With Herbs – Herb Garden Tips And Tricks, Pruning Winter Daphne: How And When To Cut Back Daphne, Tomato Temperature Tolerance: Best Growing Temp For Tomatoes, Browallia Planting Info: Tips For Growing Sapphire Flower Plant, How To Grow Mountain Alyssum – Mountain Alyssum Care And Growing Conditions, DIY Plant Rescue: Finding And Bringing Plants Indoors, Winter Crafting Ideas: My Top Craft Projects For Fall And Winter, Creating A Terrarium To Beat Winter Blues, Epic Garden Fail: DIY Raised Beds From Hell. They’re often found hiding in plants and shrubs as they wait for their prey to wander nearby. Adults of these types of beetles are predators and enjoy eating caterpillars, aphids, eggs and other insects. They’re similar to lightning bugs, but they don’t emit any glow. Otherwise known as leatherwings, the colors of soldier beetles vary depending on the part of the country in which they live. They eat up other pests to control the population.