Brits have been left ‘petrified’ after discovering hundreds of harlequin ladybirds ‘crawling’ on their homes this week.
‘Anyone else get invaded by ladybirds today? I love them but this was too much,’ one woman posted on TikTok.
One person shared their experience, saying, ‘They covered every inch of my living room and bedroom, even lining the windows – I was terrified,’ while another person expressed frustration: ‘My house is literally overrun with them.’
While the sudden influx might seem daunting, there’s a simple reason for it.
According to Professor Tim Coulson, a biologist and science author from the University of Oxford, they are searching for a place to hibernate through winter, as reported by the Daily Mail.
‘They sleep through the winter through in what is known as diapause, a bit like insect hibernation.
‘They conserve energy by significantly slowing their metabolism. In nature, they prefer to hide under bark, in leaf piles, or any location that offers some protection from predators,’ he explained.
‘Sometimes they might come into houses looking for a safe haven.’
Brits have been left ‘petrified’ after discovering hundreds of harlequin ladybirds ‘crawling’ on their homes this week
Known as cluster–hibernators, ladybirds swarm because they’re looking for a warm place to hibernate for winter.
When one of them finds a suitable place to spend the winter, it releases a pheromone that attracts a more of them.
In fact, the pheromone can keep the beetles coming back year after year.
Dozens of concerned Brits flocked to TikTok to share footage of ladybirds on their houses.
TikTok user @mummybossadventure shared their story: ‘Has anyone else been suddenly overwhelmed by ladybirds today? I turned away for a moment, and when I looked back, they were everywhere. I appreciate nature, but this was overwhelming for me.’
Another user, @meetthealis, shared their fear: ‘My front door is swarming with ladybirds. I’m scared of them, as well as insects, spiders, worms, and even ants, so it took me 15 minutes to muster the courage to go inside.’
And @livvy.robertss vented: ‘I don’t mind if it’s just one ladybug and you let it crawl in your hand. But this many guys – this is a mass invasion!’
Other users have raised concerns about diseases the ladybirds could be carrying – including sexually transmitted infections.
Dozens of concerned Brits have flocked to TikTok to share footage of ladybirds on their houses
‘New fear unlocked, ladybirds with STDs?’ one user posted on TikTok.
Ladybirds can carry sexually transmitted diseases, in the form of a fungus, according to Max Barclay, Senior Curator of Beetles at London’s Natural History Museum.
‘It is a fungus that forms little scales on the wing cases on the outside of the ladybird,’ he explained.
‘You can actually see it with your naked eye and so can tell whether the ladybird is infected. It just looks like a yellow crust on some parts of the ladybird’s exoskeleton.’
Thankfully, this fungus cannot be passed on to humans.
‘It is a fungus that grows on the exoskeleton and we don’t have one of these, and we don’t have sex with ladybirds,’ Mr Barclay added.
If your home has been overrun with ladybirds, you might be tempted to try to get rid of them.
However, experts reassure that the beetles are harmless, and say we should ‘enjoy’ seeing them.
Professor Coulson said: ‘Predators, like ladybirds, are incredibly important components of ecosystems. Take away predators, and all hell breaks loose.
‘We should cherish our ladybirds! Definitely do not kill the ladybirds as they keep the numbers of pest species down.
‘Much better to have ladybirds than to spray crops with insecticides to kill the aphids.’
Likewise, Professor Helen Roy, one of the world’s leading ladybird experts from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, told the Daily Mail: ‘If they have entered your home in large numbers, please do not harm them.
‘Either leave the insects where they are if possible or, if they are in the way, gather them gently into a box and put them in an outbuilding.’
