Aussies across parts of the country are waking up to find their gardens “swarmed” by little critters with tree trunks, lawns and even inside homes covered in thousands of insects.
“Does anyone else have a plague of these outside their house?” a Melbourne man asked on Facebook this week, wondering if he was the only one.
“They seem to be nesting in gumtrees,” he added. “There are about 5-6 trees in our street covered in them”.
Photos show what appears to be hundreds of small black and yellow winged insects congregating at the base of a large tree. They were quickly identified as soldier beetles — and the message to Aussies is to leave them be.
“It’s quite common to observe large aggregations of plague soldier beetles – Chauliognathus lugubris –around this time of the year as they form mating swarms,” Insect and taxonomy expert Nicole Gunter told Yahoo News Australia.
“They are found across south-eastern Australia and swarms are usually reported outside in gardens, but occasionally in houses if windows are left open. The soldier beetles will disperse after mating.”
It’s common at this time of year as they mate before dispersing. Source: Facebook
Residents witness similar scenes in backyards across the country
Responding to the post, others admitted they too had experienced a “sudden swarm” of insects which they believed to be solider beetles.
“We had these right before Christmas. My pest control guy said they go away on their own usually in about a week/2 weeks,” said one.
“We had them last year. They only hung around for a few weeks while breeding then they moved on. We haven’t had them again (yet),” another shared.
The sight was “yukky” and “gross” for those unfamiliar with the little critters, but others noted they’re “harmless” and said to “leave them alone”.
Why soldier beetles are actually good for your garden
Dr Tom White, an entomologist at Sydney University, confirmed the beetles are perfectly harmless. They’re native to Australia and play a vital role in the ecosystem.
“They’re actually great for the garden since the adults are enthusiastic pollinators which feed on nectar, and their larvae prey upon small pest insects, so it’s a double-win,” he pointed out previously, adding that the beetles contribute to natural pest control.
Australians are being to leave mating plague soldier bugs alone if they see them, as they play a very important role in native ecosystems. Source: Reddit
White explained the bugs are “chemically defended” — meaning they produce toxic or repellent metabolites on predators — but they’re “perfectly harmless to humans”.
“They just taste nasty to their common predators like lizards and birds. So if you come across a gathering like this I’d suggest enjoying the spectacle and leaving them be,” he said.
Previously, cruise ship passengers aboard P&O’s Pacific Encounter got more than they paid for recently after discovering a similar infestation. The unfortunate holiday-makers faced an army of “revolting” plague soldier beetles on top of one another along crevices, furniture and drinking glasses.
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