A swarm of Ladybirds - thought to be around ten million in number - has descended on the sedum matting of Blackdown Horticultural Consultants' 'greenroof'.
Ladybirds feed on aphids and greenfly and because this year has seen an explosion of these plant eating parasites it is thought they have attracted greater numbers of ladybird for one big feast - the ladybirds are expected to stay until autumn.
Thisissomerset reports that the ladybirds - Coccinella septempunctata - have covered every inch of the twenty acre site and quote the firm's research and development officer, Alex Mortleman, who said: "We're used to large numbers of ladybirds here, but this year it's just incredible. We don't use pesticides, so the aphids flourish on the sedum. That, in turn, attracts the ladybirds who arrived like a hungry cloud.
"They've pretty well covered every possible inch. In some places, there are so many that they look like crawling, wriggling carpet.
"Our staff working on the sedum are literally covered from head to toe in lady- birds the moment they leave the offices."
The image is of a 7-spot Coccinella septempunctata ladybird (photo: William Purvis) - UK Ladybird Survey.
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