By Nicole Williams
A PLAGUE of flying insects has descended on Cardinia Shire and left an Officer resident very concerned.
Joan Behrend rang the Gazette office last week as a last resort after speaking to seven different services.
She had “millions” of bugs flying around her house, garden and up the street – but no-one could tell her what they were or if there was anything to worry about.
The insects have since been identified as soldier beetles.
“Everybody just put me onto someone else,” she said.
“I just want to know if I have to watch out for them but nobody will come out and have a look. What do you do? Who helps you?”
“I can’t find anybody who can say if they’ll be gone in a couple of days or if they’ll eat your vegies.”
A call to Cardinia Shire Council sent Ms Behrend on a wild goose chase and after multiple phone calls she ended up speaking to someone from Museum Victoria.
Even they couldn’t give her an answer without inspecting the bug – but she would need to post one.
A Gazette reporter also noticed a plague of the beetles blanketing the roof of the Cardinia Cultural Centre last week.
Cardinia Shire Sustainability and Climate Change Co-ordinator Desiree Lovell said council was aware of swarms of soldier beetles across the shire and other parts of Melbourne.
“Residents should not be alarmed as they are harmless to humans and are a natural part of the environment,” she said.
“The beetles often appear in gardens in the warmer months and can actually help rather than hinder as they warn off/attack harmful insects. Council will not be taking any action to control this natural occurrence.”
Ms Behrend said she woke up last Wednesday with a plague on her property but some of the flying insects descended on her property the week before.
“Last week, they were just in the trees and now you can see hundreds and hundreds of them,” she said.
“Now they’re everywhere – down the driveway, on cars, just everywhere.”
She said her neighbours also had the same issue with the bugs and she was sure the street wouldn’t be the only one.
“If it was a plague of bees or wasps, the council would send someone out,” she said.
“When you have a plague of bugs you would think they would send someone out to at least check what kind of insect it is.”
More information on the species can be found by searching ‘Soldier Beetle’ on the Museum Victoria website www.museumvictoria.com.au
