Many orange bugs also have stripes and dots, a strikingly noticeable contrast against the green of your plants.
Some are harmful, while others can help you keep the nasty bugs under control.
Like the Spartocera fuscaare, some bugs are orange all over in early larval stages and gain their black accents as they age.
So, keeping an eye on your plants can help you learn what these orange bugs are and are they good or bad for your plants.
Knowing which orange bugs will eat your plants out of existence and help you keep them at bay is essential when growing vegetables or flowers.
To learn which orange bugs you need to worry about and those you don’t read about.
What are These Orange Bugs?
These orange bugs are ladybugs or milkweed leaf beetles that closely resemble them. They could also be the orange assassin bugs, aka the milkweed assassin bug. Boxelder bugs are also black and orange and can be a real pest when they spawn in the spring. The primarily orange bug and the only destructive bug in this group is the oleander aphid.
Orange Bugs That are Harmful to my Plants
The oleander aphid is the only bug in the group that will harm your plants. An outbreak of oleander aphids will suck the life from your plant.
They have a taste for milkweed; however, they will eat other plants, too.
Since milkweed is a centerpiece of butterfly gardens, using poison on these little pests is out of the question. You don’t want to poison your butterflies and other beneficial insects.
So, many people will rub them off the leaves of their plants, while others use the pressure of their water hose to wash them away and be careful not to break any branches.
For heavy infestations, spraying isopropyl alcohol will kill orange aphids immediately. However, it will also destroy your butterflies.
So, if you use this method, rinse the alcohol from your plants in just a few minutes after you apply this mixture.
Ladybugs are your best line of defense against aphids in your butterfly or vegetable garden because they are voracious eaters.
The Spartocera fuscaare, aka the leaf-footed bug mentioned above, is orange in the nymph stage. Adults may still have some orange hues, but they are shaped like a stinkbug and brown or greyish when grown.
They can be a bit of a problem around your plants but grow in insufficient numbers to cause much of a problem.
Beneficial Orange Bugs to My Plants
Ladybugs and milkweed assassin bugs eat aphids, alfalfa weevils, Colorado potato beetles, grape rootworm, chinch bugs, asparagus beetle larvae, spider mites, and whiteflies.
Handy little things, the Ladybug, and if you can create an environment that supports these insects, they can help you keep your garden free of harmful pests.
Like ladybugs, the orange assassin bug makes quick work of aphids, whiteflies, beetles, mosquitoes, worms, and caterpillars. But, with these two orange bugs in your garden, you will not have help battling the harmful insects that will eat your vegetables before you can.
The milkweed beetle, which closely resembles the Ladybug, is not a beneficial insect. However, they don’t seem to be harmful either and tend to be drawn to milkweed plants.
You may want to destroy adult bugs, but the little ones are food for others in the chain and are beneficial to the ecosystem.
Frequently Asked Questions about What these Orange Bugs are
Are orange bugs poisonous to me?
Some people suffer allergic reactions to ladybug presence. This is because they, like elder bugs, and termites swarm in spring. So, if any of them get into your home, you could have an allergic reaction to their presence.
Are orange bugs poisonous to other bugs and animals?
Ladybugs are because they have a toxin in them that is harmful to insects that eat them. The poison could make your pet sick if they ate living or dead ladybugs.
What do you do for an outbreak of boxed elder bugs?
The best thing to ensure they don’t interrupt your spring is to seal your windows and doors well. Since boxelder trees are what attracts them, keep them trimmed. They can be removed from plants like aphids with soapy water, the strong stream of a water hose, vinegar, or you can trap them.
What are These Orange Bugs in my Garden: An Afterword
As you see, there are several orange bugs. The only time they are orange all over is when they are nymphs.
Because of that, it can be hard to tell what kind of bug it is until it grows a bit. Most of the above bugs are predators and will eat harmful insects and leave your plants alone.
However, when they swarm in the spring, their sheer numbers can be overwhelming and make a mess around your home.
Now that you’re already acquainted with these orange bugs, you can now identify the orange bugs in your home and garden. Some are good, and some are not, and it’s best to know which is which.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.