The message
from Andy contains these words:

Sounds like they could be stag beetle larvae. Were you digging up an old
tree root? Stag beetle larvae are friends in the garden and feed on
decaying
wood.

Do they look like this?

http://www.ptes.org/stagbeetle/Stag_.../aboutstag.htm

If you find any more, place them into some dead wood nearby.

Cheers


That's them - next lot will be placed on dead wood. Wonder what they
were doing about 300 yards from the nearest tree?

They're not stag beetle larvae then. Besides, stag beetle larvae are
about the size of your thumb and are not pink.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from Andy contains these words:

Sounds like they could be stag beetle larvae. Were you digging up an old
tree root? Stag beetle larvae are friends in the garden and feed on
decaying
wood.

Do they look like this?

http://www.ptes.org/stagbeetle/Stag_.../aboutstag.htm

If you find any more, place them into some dead wood nearby.

Cheers


That's them - next lot will be placed on dead wood. Wonder what they
were doing about 300 yards from the nearest tree?

They're not stag beetle larvae then. Besides, stag beetle larvae are
about the size of your thumb and are not pink.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 21:46:26 +0100, Andy wrote:

On Sun, 4 Apr 2004 21:56:42 +0200 (CEST), George Orwell
wrote:

On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 17:12:18 +0100, Andy
wrote:

Hi all,

I dug up these revolting things today. They looked like one inch
white maggots but with red legs at the front. Does anyone know what
they were and if they're harmful or useful? I'm afraid that I killed
them cos they were so utterly disgusting so I hope they're not
gardeners friend material. I also found some mummified looking large
dark pink beetles. Are the two related I wonder?

Incredible to think they are releasing plonkers like you into the
community!

Fraid so. Still; if I was that much of a plonker I wouldn't have
bothered asking.

If they looked like stag-beetle larvae, they could also be cockchafer or
rose-beetle larvae. I often find them in the compost heap, but sometimes in
the ground.

Sorry, these links are in German, but they have pictures.

Like this: = rose beetle.
http://www.reckenholz.ch/doc/de/fors...tz/rosenk.html
the cockchafer larva on the left, and the good rose-beetle larva on the
right.

Did the beetles look like this?: = chafer
http://www.gruenes-tirol.at/nuetzlin...engerlinge.asp


--
Tim C.

On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 21:46:26 +0100, Andy wrote:

On Sun, 4 Apr 2004 21:56:42 +0200 (CEST), George Orwell
wrote:

On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 17:12:18 +0100, Andy
wrote:

Hi all,

I dug up these revolting things today. They looked like one inch
white maggots but with red legs at the front. Does anyone know what
they were and if they're harmful or useful? I'm afraid that I killed
them cos they were so utterly disgusting so I hope they're not
gardeners friend material. I also found some mummified looking large
dark pink beetles. Are the two related I wonder?

Incredible to think they are releasing plonkers like you into the
community!

Fraid so. Still; if I was that much of a plonker I wouldn't have
bothered asking.

If they looked like stag-beetle larvae, they could also be cockchafer or
rose-beetle larvae. I often find them in the compost heap, but sometimes in
the ground.

Sorry, these links are in German, but they have pictures.

Like this: = rose beetle.
http://www.reckenholz.ch/doc/de/fors...tz/rosenk.html
the cockchafer larva on the left, and the good rose-beetle larva on the
right.

Did the beetles look like this?: = chafer
http://www.gruenes-tirol.at/nuetzlin...engerlinge.asp


--
Tim C.

I have not read through all the correspondence on this topic. 1 inch long
legs on front sounds like the larva of a carniverous beetle -carabida. They
are quite common and distincly diffeerent from chafer grubs which are not
nearly so active. If it is indeed a carniverous beetle larva you have killed
a goody.
The devils coachhorse larva is bigger and more evil looking but again should
be left alone.

"Tim Challenger" "timothy(dot)challenger(at)apk(dot)at" wrote in message
s.com...
On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 21:46:26 +0100, Andy wrote:

On Sun, 4 Apr 2004 21:56:42 +0200 (CEST), George Orwell
wrote:

On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 17:12:18 +0100, Andy
wrote:

Hi all,

I dug up these revolting things today. They looked like one inch
white maggots but with red legs at the front. Does anyone know what
they were and if they're harmful or useful? I'm afraid that I killed
them cos they were so utterly disgusting so I hope they're not
gardeners friend material. I also found some mummified looking large
dark pink beetles. Are the two related I wonder?

Incredible to think they are releasing plonkers like you into the
community!

Fraid so. Still; if I was that much of a plonker I wouldn't have
bothered asking.

If they looked like stag-beetle larvae, they could also be cockchafer or
rose-beetle larvae. I often find them in the compost heap, but sometimes
in
the ground.

Sorry, these links are in German, but they have pictures.

Like this: = rose beetle.
http://www.reckenholz.ch/doc/de/fors...tz/rosenk.html
the cockchafer larva on the left, and the good rose-beetle larva on the
right.

Did the beetles look like this?: = chafer
http://www.gruenes-tirol.at/nuetzlin...engerlinge.asp


--
Tim C.

On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 19:40:52 +0100, david taylor wrote:

I have not read through all the correspondence on this topic. 1 inch long
legs on front sounds like the larva of a carniverous beetle -carabida. They
are quite common and distincly diffeerent from chafer grubs which are not
nearly so active. If it is indeed a carniverous beetle larva you have killed
a goody.
The devils coachhorse larva is bigger and more evil looking but again should
be left alone.

Ah, I didn't know about them. Learn something new every day here. I've seen
a reasonable number of devil's coachmen adults around so I assume there'll
be some larvae in the ground. :-)

I don't kill anything in my garden unless I *know* it's a real pest and
there are loads of them and already causing too much damage. Except ground
elder and creeping buttercup.

--
Tim C.