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"Can You Tell Me Why?" - Well, I guess you have to be a certain age to get that!
I've seen these guys on and off since I've lived in Fron, I have no memory of seeing them before, but the Devil's coach horse beetle is a very common beetle in the UK. Yes he can nip, I discovered that to my cost many moons ago but does he deserve to die for protecting himself? This is the third of four live ones that I've seen in the cottage in the last week or so, there was also a dead one after we did our Autumn routine flea spray a few weeks ago. Catching them isn't easy, but they do go into a plastic pot quite easily and can under protest and threatening raised abdomen be returned to the garden to carry on with their good work.
Google says this about them "This large predatory beetle is common in woodland, but is also found in gardens and sometimes enters houses when hunting for prey, usually small insects, slugs and worms. The Devil's coach horse beetle can be killed with a simple spray or trap. However, unless they pose a particular annoyance, this insect should be left alone, because they're not considered to be a pest.They are well-known for curling up their abdomens like the tail of a scorpion when threatened, and emitting a foul-smelling substance from their abdomens. Beware - they can also deliver a painful bite to us."
So yeah handle with care but they are considered very beneficial in the garden as the beetles are voracious predators who consume significant numbers of small slugs and other pests such as vine weevil larvae and cutworm.
So can you tell me why, most people have told me to kill them? Now he's no ladybird or butterfly in looks and he can be a little bit feisty but he's very much the gardeners friend. I simply don't see why we should kill things when they can go back outside ... but of course that is why we are where we are in this world, it's too often the answer from the human race - "just kill it!"
