Billy Witches: Unraveling the Myth of Hair Entanglement

Billy Witches have MANY tales to tell – from their trial in the French courts to being toys in ancient Greece. But do Billy Witches get stuck in your hair? Here’s the truth.

Growing in sizes up to 2.5 to 3 cm long, billy witches are members of the beetle family that have brown, hairy bodies and white triangles on their abdomen. 

They have a hard exoskeleton, antennae with multiple leaves, and translucent, rust-brown wings. 

Their large body makes them clumsy fliers, and they often bump into things – including, sometimes, human hair.

Some people believe that once a cockchafer gets caught in one’s hair, there’s no other alternative than to cut off that chunk. 

But this is an old wives’ tale! Cockchafers don’t particularly enjoy human hair. However, they have spiny legs and tend to burrow, which makes it difficult to get them out. 

If caught – you can always get them out gently. They are harmless, non-aggressive, and do not sting.

What Are Billy Witches? 

Billy Witches or Melolontha melolontha are a type of brown-colored scarab beetle.

The male and female can be distinguished by the number of leaves on their antenna. The females have six, while the male has seven. 

Cockchafers lay eggs in the ground, which hatch into larvae. These larvae feed extensively on various plant roots for as long as four years before going into pupae in autumn. 

After transforming inside the pupae for a period of 6 weeks, adult cockchafers emerge, mostly during the months of April to May.

An adult billy witch has a life span of only a few weeks. 

Why Are They Also Called Cockchafers?

Billy witches have many names, with Cockchafer being the most common one used in England. 

The name cockchafer translates into “big beetle” in old English. 

More accurately, it is an amalgamation of ‘cock’ or the old English term for vigor, and ‘chafer,’ which means someone who gnaws. 

This is due to the beetle’s insane appetite, both as larvae and adults. 

They are also known by various other names, such as the May bug, as they tend to mature around the month of May. ‘Billy witch’ is a term commonly used in Suffolk.  

Do Billy Witches Get Stuck in Your Hair?

Due to their large, hard body, Billy witches are quite bumbling flyers. Like other beetles, they have spikes on their legs for clamping onto the stems of plants. 

During May, it is pretty common to find them almost everywhere. And one dropping on your hair from a branch above isn’t all that rare. 

Due to their large size, people often freak out, which just causes the beetle to burrow further and get tangled with its spiky legs and antenna. 

However, having to cut off your hair for this is simply a myth. You can gently get them out and release them again. 

Are They Dangerous To Humans or Pets?

There are two types of cockchafers – the common and the forest cockchafers. 

Common cockchafers have a spike-like structure at the end of their abdomen, which is often mistaken for a stinger. 

However, they do not actually sting and are not dangerous to humans or pets. The funnel-like ‘sting’ structure is known as the pygidium. 

Cockchafers lay eggs within the soil. The pygidium helps females push their eggs deep into the soil to avoid predators. Many kids have safely enjoyed playing with cockchafers during their childhood. 

Interesting Facts About Billy Witches

Billy witches are the stuff of folklore and legends – these insects have even made their way into children’s nursery rhymes!

Here are a few unique facts about these bugs:

In 1320, the citizens of France put the cockchafers on trial for destroying crops. The cockchafers lost and were banished to a particular patch of land. However, the bugs did not comply (as expected), and soon, the French started capturing and killing them. 

Billy witches have quite some tales to tell. In 1911, over 20 million of them were trapped, caught, and killed. In the 20th century, large amounts of pesticides were used to deal with insect infestation.

This dwindled down the cockchafer population until they almost became extinct. They have been completely wiped out from most of Europe. Now, as pesticide usage is being monitored, their population is replenishing.

As of now, chemical pesticide use against them is banned. Only a few biological or green pesticides, such as pathogenic fungi, are allowed. 

Cockchafers are known for being extremely clumsy fliers that make a loud, buzzing sound as they move around. It’s very common to see them smacking into things and spider webs. Clumsy flying is almost a trait of all beetles!

Due to their cute appearance (as compared to other beetles), children often use them as toys. In Ancient Greece, kids would tie a string around one of its legs and then try to catch it as it whirled around. In fact, even today, many kids find the beetle cute and catch them to play with. 

Their abundance and poor flight capabilities made them easy to be caught and, finally – eat. Many old recipes feature the cockchafer, such as the Cockchafer soup or the sugar-coated Cockchafers in Germany. Even the larvae can be prepared for a meal by using vinegar. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Wrap Up

The history of the cockchafer is an important lesson to understand how too much or too little of any creature within the ecosystem can pose a threat to the entire cycle of life. 

Cockchafer invasions were memorable enough that many authors (such as J.G. Farrell) have immortalized them in their books. 

The next time you chance upon a bumbling billy witch in your window, know it’s probably there looking to find some leaves to munch on and a mate. 

Thank you for reading.