Here's one for all you gardeners out there. All our hibiscus shrubs are covered with red fire bugs. I've done considerable research on the internet, but can't find much info. All I need to know is, are they good or bad? Our French friends call them 'Gendarmes', and seem to think we should get rid of them.

Personally I wouldn't try to get rid of them, they are very common in Normandy and I think they are quite pretty. They should also go into hibernation soon so you wont have to worry about them over winter

As far as I know the 'gendarme' beetle is completely harmless. I've never seen any damage to plants; on the contrary I believe they are useful in getting rid of various parasites. I've had colonies of these insects all around our place in the south of France since I moved here 16 years ago.

I think I'm familiar with these bugs, and have never seen them in the UK, but in the countryside I've found them everywhere. There's been several occasions I haven't been able to sit on the grass because they're swarming with these things. They seem to like certain trees too, but as the others say, they're pretty harmless.

I'm not sure they are the same thing, but there's also a common bug the French call a 'stink bug' - if you accidentally tread on it, it creates a foul odour. It's also used as a mild curse word, but I don't know how it's spelt. Phonetically it sounds like 'poo-naz'.

If you mean these

They're all terribly busy getting ready for Saturday night!!

"Punaise", phonetically I would have thought 'pew-nez' was closer. Alternative meaning drawing-pin, as well as the mild swearword, which is basically a way of getting out of saying the other pu- word (-tain).

Yes, your phonetic spelling is much better than mine, and sounds much more like the word. I blame sleep-deprivation for my half-fried mind. I do remember it also means drawing-pin now you mention it. I guess if it only meant drawing pin it wouldn't be much of a substitute to a cuss word.

Hi,
(Isn't Junior sleeping through the night, yet?)

My daughters used to say "Purée" (OH too when I'm within hearing). I myself am quite liberal with my "5 lettres" (m..de), but can't stand any one saying "putain" ("prostitute").

But this doesn't have much to do with the original "gendarmes"...

Actually, Sat and Sun, 12 hours both nights, and then woke up smiling, not screaming for milk. Amazing, only just turned 3 months old now.

Mme. Grenouille uses Putain a lot (especially on the phone to her parents), and all manner of words that I'd prefer our son not to start blurting out the moment he can talk, so we're trying the punaise substitutes.

I believe the gendarmes are technically known as Pyrrhocoris apterus and also informally known as soldat. Mating takes between 12 hours and 7 days!!!