You might be seeing this little red bug everywhere lately. It is a pyrrhocore bug and is currently a plague in much of the country.
The number of these small red insects has increased considerably in recent years. Although not harmful, they can be irritating.
Pyrrhocore is a small beetle-like insect that you can often find in gardens and parks. It is very recognizable thanks to its bright red and black colors. These colors are also the origin of its impressive name. In nature, these colors serve as a warning. The colors basically say, “watch out, I’m toxic” and that’s obviously a decoy, because in reality it isn’t at all.
Pyrrhocore is not dangerous to humans. He won’t bite you if you bother him. In fact, pyrrhocores may be good news. They eat aphids and clean up dead insects. The reason you are seeing so many of these bugs right now is that they are coming out of hibernation. They search for their congeners and gather in large numbers, which is obviously remarkable. Little fun fact: pyrrhocores copulate for an average of 12 hours in a row.
Although you don’t have to be afraid of them, and they are even useful… these little creatures give off a terrible smell. Plus, they breed like crazy, which can lead to a real infestation in your garden or home. So there are enough reasons to want to get rid of pyrrhocores. The best thing to do is to make sure the pyrrhocore has no shelter. They like to hide in cracks or dense plants. As a result, it’s a good idea to weed.
It is also useful to remove plants such as hibiscus, acacia or linden. If you really want to go drastic, use some type of poison. Although these little beasts do no harm and are useful for your garden, it is certainly the most effective way to get rid of them.