Harlequin ladybirds carrying a sexually transmitted disease are flooding into homes across the UK, prompting advice to keep doors and windows closed. The insects, which were originally found only in the south-east of England, have been spreading widely across the Midlands.
Spread and Public Reports
People have reported their walls, windows and doors being covered by the tiny insects, with one resident saying they had never seen anything like it. The species carries a sexually transmitted fungus, though experts stress it is not dangerous to humans.
Max Barclay, Senior Curator of Beetles at the Natural History Museum, confirmed the STDs cannot be passed on to people.
Expert Explanation
Barclay explained that several ladybird species hibernate in large clusters. He said: "There are a number of species of ladybirds that hibernate in big clusters. Ancestrally harlequin ladybirds would probably have hibernated in big clusters in caves, hollow trees and other sheltered places."
He added: "In absence of these they may well try and gain entrance to your home. The easiest way for them to do this is through the small gaps along the edges of loose-fitting windows."
Describing the fungus, Barclay said: "It is a fungus that forms little scales on the wing cases on the outside of the ladybird. 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."
Public Reaction and Prevention
He reassured the public: "These are not anything to panic about. First off they can't give you diseases, they can't hurt you and they're not going to completely exterminate our native fauna. They are going to find some kind of balance, even if that includes them in reasonably large numbers."
The Natural History Museum advises that to prevent the insects entering homes, doors and windows should be properly sealed and insulated.
Residents have shared their experiences online. One user, u/Hollyisthedog, wrote on r/BritishProblems: "Having to shut every window, vent and door so you don't get bombarded by ladybirds. Damn things are still getting in though." Another commented: "I'm in south Staffordshire and literally every time I go into the kitchen at the moment there's a new ladybird."
A third remarked: "There were swarms of them this weekend. I'm in West Yorkshire." Another added: "I'm in Greater Manchester and when I got home from work today my house was covered in them. All over the walls, windows and doors. I've never seen anything like it."
