Ladybird numbers 'very high' due to warm weather

Ladybirds are being seen in "very high numbers" this year because of the warm weather, an expert has said.

A swarm of the creatures disrupted cricket at Lord's in London on Thursday, distracting players and leading to a brief pause in England's contest against India.

Ecologist and ladybird expert Prof Helen Roy, from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, said it was because of high numbers of aphids, which they eat, as well as warm weather.

Tim Coulson, professor of zoology and head of biology at the University of Oxford, said people should "learn to love" the bugs because of their key ecological role.

Prof Coulson said: "Warm weather means more aphids because they can complete each generation faster - insects, including ladybirds and aphids, tend to speed up their lives in warm weather."

Because ladybirds eat aphids, they also have an abundance of food.

"They are effective predators of aphids, which can be a major pest of many plant species," he said.

"Much in the way that wolves keep deer numbers in check in some parts of the world, ladybirds keep aphid numbers down.

"A swarm of ladybirds in a cricket game, even against India, should remind people of the role that predators play in keeping the ecology of earth in a healthy state."

Prof Roy said people could support insects in their garden by leaving shallow dishes with a small amount of water in.

"Also, we encourage people to leave the aphids in their garden on roses and other plants so there is plenty of food for ladybirds," she said.

You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.