Ladybirds everywhere

[Yamadori]

I've just been into my garden and there are loads of ladybirds, I must have seen about a dozen all flying about at the same time.

Anyone else noticed anything?

I remember that vividly. The papers (some of them) ran stories about people being swarmed and bitten. And patient and exasperated experts would appear on the telly explaining that ladybirds don’t bite and there’s nothing to worry about.

We have loads too but about 6 weeks ago we had a swarms of green fly so I suspect it’s related.

The patient and exasperated experts were wrong. 7-spot ladybirds can bite, Not often and only as a last resort, but they can bite. I know this for a fact, because I got bitten more than once in 1976. They also deposit yellow fluid on you if they feel threatened.

My nasturtiums have been covered in black fly and its been fascinating watching ants on the plants amongst the aphids.

This afternoon I noticed that there are now about a dozen 7 spot ladybirds on the nasturtiums and the ants seem to have disappeared.

The excess of ladybirds seems to have died down a bit here now.