Harlequin ladybird invasion

Thankfully, my swarming ladybirds have almost gone and many who managed to sneak into the porch while the door was open have taken up residence in the corner above my back door.
I sent my photos to the UK Ladybird Survey who identified the bugs as the invasive harlequin species.
Helen Roy at the UK Ladybird Survey said: "We do not recommend killing any ladybirds and although this is partly because of the risk of native species being misidentified as harlequins, also any that are killed will unfortunately make very little difference to the population."
Ms Roy urged me to record the sightings and upload photos using the survey's online forms. Apparently the invasive species has been found as far north as Orkney but high numbers found in Battersea, Clapham and Chelsea suggest some could have arrived via Eurostar or with vegetables sold at Covent Garden.
According to the survey website, harlequins have been known to damage late summer ripening fruit, such as pears, and get among grape harvests, tainting the wine that is produced.

Ladybird land

Oh my goodness! Has anyone else got thousands of ladybirds in their garden?
I am starting to become concerned, especially after finding stories about swarming ladybirds from previous years. There certainly aren't as many as in the BBC report about Norfolk last year but the weather is warm so I guess the numbers could still increase.
I have emailed the UK Ladybird Survey to find out if they are interested in the goings on here.
I have also downloaded their ladybird identification sheet to see whether any of the bugs are the invasive harlequin variety but it's pretty difficult to tell.
I've just been out in the garden to take photos and try and have a closer look at which species are out there but after opening the door for just a few seconds, I now have dozens of them in the house.
They are also landing on me all the time and I ended up coming back inside because I was spending the whole time picking them off.
I just hope it doesn't get worse - it's making me itch!

Swarming ladybirds

Ladybirds are a cherished friend of the gardener - they munch the greenflies and blackflies that wreck our crops.
I am very lucky in my new garden because I have plenty of ladybirds of all varieties so my salad crops have been bug free.
However, in the last week or so, I have noticed a marked increase in the number of ladybirds, with many flying into the house.
With a little research on the internet, I have read that they can "swarm" in the autumn.
Last August, ITN reported that millions of the insects swarmed in Somerset and Norfolk, where cars were covered in a "thick carpet" of ladybirds.
As it is already October, I'm hoping I won't have a ladybug plague of my own but I'm intrigued to know what's going on.