The Gendarmes are out in force!

OMG WHat on earth are they!!!!!! they look beautiful..hope they dont do any damage! I'm gonna call you beasty Karen from now on lolol ;) x

They're called 'gendarmes' here, Pixi...aka firebugs in other places...I don't know what they're called in Britain...

I'm infested with them all of a sudden!

If they're baddies, I hope someone will tell me before it's too late! And what to do with them!!!

OOOh I've never seen those before maybe we dont get them here? Someone on here will prolly know :)

from what i've heard K, they normally go for mallows or lime trees their diet is seed mostly, but that's from one of my nature books i've not any first hand experience with them... good photo though ..

I'd never seen them before moving here, Pixi! Had them in the pool garden at the old house...but that was probably because we had two lime trees, W! They left the garden alone...

That's all I've managed to find out, too, W...and they did start off on the malva...everywhere now though!! I don't really mind as long as it is just the seeds they're after....

i hope that's all they do for you, keep my fingers crossed, good luck K.

Oh well I thought they were too pretty to be bad! :)

Dad still has his ants! they are everywhere I shooshed some powder over them for the third time!

Oooh! I HATE ants!!! We can get a spray here...but you just get rid of one lot when another arrives, somewhere else! I spray around all around the plants where the ants are farming aphids...'cause I hate them too!!!!

I've heard they are attracted to bindweed Karen and they will focus only on it if you have some in your garden :):):):):):):)
LOVE the photo!

Oh, Lil...you are a devil, but you've made me laugh, thank you! lol!! :):):):):)

I hate ants but I HATE BINDWEED more!!!!! lol!!!! :)))))

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Have you noticed my horns before Karen? I know they are hidden by my ball cap right now. Glad to give you a chuckle, was my intent :)

Haha!! You did indeed, Lil!...I was wondering why you are wearing a hat!! :)))))

And, sorry W!...I just realised I forgot to say thank you for wishing me luck...Thankyou! :)))))

Cracking picture -- brilliant detail

Thank you, Paul...the scary thing is that these are just babies! :((

my word !!! Are they pests? Bugs don't bother me as much - but the big brown and black spiders - they really do!!! Running from between the holes in wall

Urgh! Spiders...don't like them...but neccessary...
Don't know if these are pests or not, Paul...sort of waiting to find out.... :/

:)))))))