People may have spotted more ladybirds outside and indoors as they make preparations for the colder months.

Groups of ladybirds - known by the collective noun as a loveliness of ladybirds - have been spotted indoors.

Wendy Carter, communications lead for Worcestershire Wildlife Trust,  explained that ladybirds spotted indoors are usually harlequins.

"The most common ladybirds found indoors during winter are the harlequins that are a non-native ladybird that arrived in the UK in 2003 and is now widespread.

"Harlequin ladybirds are very variable and they can sometimes be confused with other species but they have brown rather than black legs and often have a ‘W’ black shape behind the head.

"There are no health concerns with them being in your home but be prepared to open the windows once spring arrives and they want to head back outside."

She explained that as food supplies dwindle ladybirds go into a state of dormancy as winter arrives.

"Basically, they hibernate.

"Some species snooze for longer but at the moment seven-spot and harlequin ladybirds are still active – they might still be finding food but for many, they’re looking for somewhere to hunker down for winter.

"On mild days in winter, it’s not uncommon for individuals to wake up and seek food, especially those that feed on mildew, which is easier to find than aphids in the colder months.

"Ladybirds need somewhere cool and sheltered for winter and, depending on the species, they can be tucked away in nooks and crannies of fenceposts or tree bark, buried in seedheads or hollow stems of plants, found amongst leaf litter or even in the soil.

"Some form large aggregations – there’s safety in numbers and there are plenty of potential mates around when they wake up in spring."

There are 47 species of ladybird in the UK - 27 of these species look like what we expect a ladybird to look like in that they’re red or yellow with spots that are either black or cream.

However, there are 20 that are much smaller and only sometimes have spots.