Anyone seeing a lot of billy witches this year?

[rosebud5678]

If you live in Suffolk you will know the horror to which I refer...my daughter says several of her friends have had them flying into their bedrooms in the evenings. They properly Freak Me Out. Anyone?

I’ve never heard of them so just googled - can honestly say I’ve never encountered one before. Are they common across the UK or just in Suffolk?

I had to look up what they were... ARRGGGH

Google says they mostly affect flats and high rise buildings - ME
Very loud buzz when flying - HATE things that buzz (somewhat irrationally
I can't bring myself to close the window but have closed the curtains and am now cowering in a corner of my bedroom

On the plus side, apparently they only live 48 hours... shall I stash some emergency supplies in the bathroom in case I have to use it as a panic room?

AKA cockchafers!

I hadn’t heard of these and have just Googled. I’m going to have nightmares now! They have sinister faces and weird eyebrow things. Thanks a bunch, OP!

Oh, May bugs? None here for a few years now. Funny things.

Shudder. Touch wood haven’t seen any this year yet.

I’ve heard that if they land in long hair (possible as they are very clumsy fliers and landers) you’ll pretty much have to cut out the whole chunk of hair it’s stuck in!!

Sorry, didn't mean to upset anyone! Last year we saw one on the other side of the road. To be able to see an insect at that distance is just wrong! They are truly horrendous when in flight and genuinely measure a couple of inches long. Don't have nightmares...

It's a lie.

They're just large and daft.

Yes, if you Google them it does tend to mention how clumsy they are and the fact that they 'often fly into things'. Now a huge graceful butterfly I could deal with...but not this.

Is this about June bugs? I can't google these bastards.

In Surrey here and they are may bugs or cock chafers. We have had a few this year and the noise is terrible.

Never heard of the before but just googled and it's the sod I had in my shower last night! I wondered what it was. SE London, maybe there spreading?!

This thing

Are they like cockroaches? I saw one (cockroach) fly across my hotel room in India once and I nearly died from the horror. If they’re anything like that, you have my sympathy.

No picture attached

Ahhhh !

I never knew they were a thing in the UK until one flew into my head. I was freaked out, it was stunned and my dog (the reason I was standing around outside in the dark) ate it. They sound very crunchy 🤢

They are like flying cockroaches. I was sat outside at dusk and it flew at my head. My cousin told me what it was and I had never heard of it before.

They sound very crunchy 🤢

Apparently the French used to make soup out of them, and German kids would eat them coated in sugar:

www.cleankill.co.uk/blog/may-bug-or-common-cockchafer

You’re welcome.

Nothing to add except thanks for my new Username

I half hate them half love them. Loud flying buzzing creature in my hair - yuck. But omg they have cute eyebrows!

‘In the past, Cockchafers were numerous around Europe – in 1911, 20 million individuals were collected from an 18km-squared piece of woodland’

Imagine being in that woodland.

I had one in the house two years ago. It came in upstairs Up close they’re actually quite cute, but yes, they’re big,noisy & clumsy - it took me ages to catch him and get him outside with the door slammed behind him! I wasn’t going through having to catch him again!

Oh they’re adorable fuzzy little things!! Lovely!

I've never seen or heard of these things before?!

Just googled - they look quite cute!