Ladybirds

I have written before about finding Ladybirds ( Coccinellidae ) inside my home, having been unwittingly carried inside on firewood, where they have gathered to begin their winter hibernation.  The warmth inside wakes them up, and I find them clustered on the widows, probably drawn to the light.  Yesterday when a carpenter removed some rotting timbers from near the roof, this is what I found when I went to clear the rubbish away.  There were hundreds of the little beetles hiding away inside a groove in the timber that gave them a snug dry and dark place to sleep until Spring.

Being very fond of these helpful insects, today I collected a few that were wandering away from the cluster and moved them to my pot of moss for a photo session.  They are not easy subjects to photograph – tiny, round and shiny,  plus they do not stay still!  The piece of timber will be moved to a sheltered spot, and the remaining Ladybirds left undisturbed.  I hope they survive till warmer weather.