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Any idea what these bugs are? And what I should do about them?

joatperrygreenjoatperrygreen Posts: 2
in Problem solving
hi, I found these whilst removing part of an old wooden stump, they are the size of my thumb nail and tip.  Browny, orangey heads, lots of little legs.  Are they harmful to my plants as stump is in a raised bed I am planning to grow food in later this season. Debt so far around vine weevils, stag beetle or other Larva? They will have other wintered here as the stump has been slowly rotting for years, Joyears.


Posts

  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 3,867
    Could be one of those http://tatnampatch.org.uk/?page_id=128
    You are invited to a virtual visit of my garden (in English or in French).
  • B3B3 Posts: 25,260
    Could be stag beetles .  If they are leave them alone.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,166
    rotting wood is an important wildlife habitat. 


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Gillian AttwellGillian Attwell Posts: 18
    Oh my goodness, it is a stag Beetle larvae . Try and tuck it back into the wood and leave it. There are fewer of them about today. 
  • B3B3 Posts: 25,260
    I haven't seen them for three or four years. A neighbour disposed of a massive tree stump for no good reason and I think that was what did for them.   Our cat, now dead, used to turn them upside down for sport and I would have to turn them the right way up with a stick. I didn't want to touch them. I used to go inside at dusk may/ June because they have me the creeps flying around at head level,  but I miss them. If you have them - treasure them.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 83,979
    https://ptes.org/campaigns/stag-beetles/

     :D 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 9,374
    You can dig a hole and bury them along with the rotting wood I think. Make sure you put it somewhere that won't get waterlogged and won't get dug up.
    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • joatperrygreenjoatperrygreen Posts: 2
    Thanks everyone, I have other piles of rotting wood in my garden for wildlife so will carefully move any more I see in the raised bed one.
  • B3B3 Posts: 25,260
    I'm glad you weren't looking to kill them. Hopefully in a few years they'll be doing a fly past over your barbecue.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
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