Where are they?

alan refail · Fri Jul 10, 2009 6:22 am

They being ladybirds.
So far this year I think I have seen at most two or three. And no, the harlequins are not to blame as they haven't arrived here yet. There have been a few aphids of one sort or another, but they have been cleared by the birds (feathered). There have been very few ladybirds around since 2006.
What's the situation elsewhere?

oldherbaceous · Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:19 am

Morning Alan, there are not a huge amount around here, but there are quite a few young ones hatching out and doing a tremendous job of clearing the black and greenfly up.

Parsons Jack · Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:27 am

Good morning Alan,

Quite a few around here at the moment, but could do with a lot more

Fri Jul 10, 2009 12:30 pm

Come up to my plot, I'm inundated with them :shock:

oldherbaceous · Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:32 pm

I'll be there in 20 minutes.

GatehouseFarm · Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:19 pm

We are over run with them adults and larvae.

richard p · Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:28 am

theres a normal number here as well., couple of evenings ago a pair of white owles flew over, we usually only see them singely.

Elaine · Sat Jul 11, 2009 9:09 am

There are a few about here but nothing like other years.

In our garden, I saw lots emerging from hibernation in the spring but there does seem to be a shortage of them now. Not many on the allotment either. I wonder why? Cheers.

oldherbaceous · Sat Jul 11, 2009 9:24 am

Dear Elaine, i wonder if there was a lack of food about for the early emerging ones!

alan refail · Sat Jul 11, 2009 10:21 am

I wonder if they steer clear of Wales because the Welsh for Ladybird is Buwch goch gota (short red cow) :?:

Bren · Sat Jul 11, 2009 11:11 am

Plenty of ladybirds on the allotment but none in the back garden.

Dozens of sparrows in the garden and the blackbird was feeding the young ones about a couple of yards from where I was sitting last evening.

Bren

Elaine · Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:44 pm

Hello OH. yes you could be right about the food situation , it was unseasonably warm at the time. Having said that...I don't think food was the ladybirds main priority going by the numbers of them which were "paired up" amongst the greenery.... :wink:

mrs l · Sat Jul 11, 2009 10:27 pm

I haven't seen any ladybirds in my allotment yet, but quite a few bees about.

PLUMPUDDING · Sun Jul 12, 2009 10:13 pm

They are very scarce in my garden too. I've only seen two this year which is very unusual, but there are lots of them in a couple of places in the countryside about 10 miles away from here. I'll have to bring a few home. I have noticed that the blue tits and house sparrows are eating all the aphids off things but I don't think it is lack of food that is the problem, there just aren't any ladybirds here just now. Perhaps the birds have eaten them too.

alan refail · Mon Jul 27, 2009 7:18 am

A 50% increase here - saw another ladybird last week, bringing this year's total to three

Where are they?

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