Experts are raising concerns about a significant increase in ladybird populations, driven by a favorable mix of sporadic rain and warm weather. Over the weekend, social media was filled with videos showing a large number of these beetles as people in the UK dealt with millions invading beaches and other areas during the ongoing heatwave.
A video on TikTok captured the scene at Weston Super Mare, where ladybirds swarmed the sandy shores, crawled over sunbathers, and covered cars and other vehicles. Beach visitors hurried to their cars, closing doors to avoid the influx.
In a separate incident at Weston, the beetles were filmed taking flight, swarming a seaside eatery just the day before. The England versus India cricket match at Lord’s experienced a brief interruption last Thursday when an abundance of ladybirds, thriving in the hot climate, disrupted the players.
An expert observed that ladybirds are appearing in exceptionally high numbers this year due to the warm conditions following the disruption at the cricket game.
This phenomenon follows closely after the UK’s flying ant day, where similar weather patterns led to large swarms of those insects as well.
The sudden presence of these creatures at Lord’s in London last Thursday caused a momentary disturbance during England’s match against India on the opening day of the third Rothesay Test.
England’s vice-captain Ollie Pope commented on the unusual occurrence, stating, “I’ve never seen that, no.”
Ecologist and ladybird specialist, Professor Helen Roy from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, disclosed that many aphid-feeding ladybird species, such as the seven-spot ladybird, are being spotted in significant numbers this year.
She advised people to help insects and wildlife during this weather by providing shallow dishes with water and leaving aphids on roses and plants for ladybirds to feed on.
To participate in the ladybird survey, click the provided link.
Tim Coulson, professor of zoology at the University of Oxford, encouraged people to appreciate ladybirds, explaining that warm weather accelerates aphid populations, giving ladybirds more food to consume.
Dr. Peter Brown, associate professor in ecology and conservation at Anglia Ruskin University, humorously compared ladybirds to wolves that control deer populations in some regions, emphasizing the importance of predators in maintaining ecological balance.
He reminisced about the last “boom year” for ladybirds in the scorching summer of ’76, noting that there have been sporadic booms since then.
As an organizer of the UK Ladybird Survey, Dr. Brown highlighted the positive aspect of the current surge in ladybird numbers due to the warm climate.
