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Hunting for Our Lost Ladybirds
Ladybugs, or Ladybirds as we call them in the UK, are a jewel of a nature. In addition, they’re a gardener’s best friend too. In my childhood years I remember spending many happy days in the vicarage gardens hunting down these beautiful insects and collecting them in jam jars. Even back then I was obsessed with conservation, and at about 10 years old, I set up a breeding colony of ladybirds in an old aquarium in my bedroom. My mother was far happier with me collecting aphids to feed these bugs than she had been when I announced I was setting up a snail hotel, and soon enough there were clusters of tiny yellow eggs on everything. It was wonderful as they hatched, and munched and made their pupae and then turned into adults. And it seems, perhaps, I should have carried on this tradition because our lovely garden lady seems to be disappearing.
Is it just me, or are there far fewer of these pretty insects about?
I took them for granted when I lived in London; native species were few and far between, but the Harlequin invader was EVERYWHERE. Out here, just 30 minutes drive from the capital, even those Asian intruders are not to be found. Until today I’d probably only seen three or four ladybirds locally – the bright red shining through fresh green blades of grass. Today, I was thankful to see not only a tiny pine ladybird, but a mating pair of 22-spot ladybirds; hurrah for future babies! But where are the hundreds of colourful bugs I used to see as a child?
A pair of 22-spot ladybirds making new ladybirds amongst the broad beans.
A lonesome pine ladybird…hopefully looking for a mate.
The potential loss of British ladybirds is not only worrying for general conservation, but a major problem for gardeners’ too. This is especially true as our winters become milder and, as a result, aphids are not killed. This year, I’m sad to say, there’s been greenfly in my greenhouse throughout the winter. In fact, there have even been a few colonies surviving on outside plants too. With no major frosts to kill them, they’re surviving the year round. And with fewer predators in early spring, their numbers are getting out of control. I, for one, continue to squish and spray with washing-up liquid where possible, but I fear that some people, fed up of the organic approach, will begin dipping back into the chemical spray market just to solve the darn nuisance.
With such concerns, my eyes are now on the lookout wherever I go for one of these beauties. Perhaps this is just an Essex phenomenon. Maybe there are other areas where this vibrant insect is thriving. I certainly hope to see growing numbers in the future; in fact, my boyhood escapades seem rather fitting to undertake again. I hope that one day soon, my plants and garden will soon be full of these lovely garden friends once again.
Have you noticed a drop in numbers? Or have you found the opposite? Let me know in the comments!
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