The UK has enjoyed a spell of hot weatherrecently, with Brits enduring days of scorching temperatures during three separate heatwaves so far this year. While summer conditions can bring many concerns for gardeners as high temperatures can often damage plants and crops, it also does have its benefits.
According to experts, the hot weather has caused this particular insect to appear in “very high numbers”, which are very beneficial in keeping a certain pests away from plants.
The England vs India cricket game at Lord’s London was interrupted by a swarm of ladybirds distracting players. The invasion resulted in a short pause in the contest and experts are saying that the UK will be seeing more of the insects this summer.
Professor Helen Roy, ecologist and ladbybird expert at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, said it comes as a result of the high numbers of aphids, which ladybirds eat, as well as the warm weather.
However, homeowners are being urged to “learn to love” the insects, according to Tim Coulson, professor of zoology and head of biology at University of Oxford, as they play a key ecological role, reports BBC.
He said: “Warm weather means more aphids because they can complete each generation faster – insects, including ladybirds and aphids, tend to speed up their lives in warm weather.”
As ladybirds eat aphids, the increase means that ladybirds have an abundance of food.
He added: “They are effective predators of aphids, which can be a major pest of many plants. Much in the way wolves keep deer numbers in check in some parts of the world, ladybirds keep aphid numbers down.
“A swarm of ladybirds in a cricket game, even against India, should remind people of the role that predators play in keeping the ecology of earth in a healthy state.”
Professor Roy suggests that Brits should support the insects by leaving shallow dishes with a small amount of water in their gardens.
“Also, we encourage people to leave the aphids in their gardens on roses and other plants so there is plenty of food for ladybirds,” she said.