Where Our Hidden Helpers Go During Winter

Ladybirds: Tucked Into Every Crack and Crevice

Ladybirds are among the most visible insect allies in summer, and they need surprisingly little to get through winter. Many species cluster together for warmth—sometimes dozens packed into the corner of a shed window frame, a stack of canes, or under loose bark on an old fruit tree.

Where they overwinter on an allotment:

• Inside sheds, greenhouses, cold frames
• In hollow stems (especially teasel, fennel, cow parsley, and last season’s perennial flower stalks)
• Under fallen leaves and plant debris
• Within bundles of canes or bamboo

If you’re tidying the plot in December, avoid stripping everything back to bare soil. Those dry stems riddled with pithy centres? They’re prime real estate for ladybirds.

Lacewings: The Winter Warriors Hiding in the Dry

Lacewings are magical summer companions—delicate green wings, huge golden eyes, and some of the hungriest aphid-eating larvae you’ll ever meet. But they’re much less glamorous in winter. Adults turn a dusty brown and seek shelter in the driest, cosiest spaces they can find.

Where lacewings hide:

• Behind the felt on shed roofs
• In cracks in timber sheds
• Among stored flowerpots
• In piles of dry leaves or straw
• Inside purpose-built insect hotels

If you disturb a cloud of tiny brown insects while moving old pots, you’ve probably found lacewings. They rely heavily on human-made structures, making allotments incredibly important winter habitats.

Solitary Bees: Sleeping in Hollow Stems and Burrows

Solitary bees are some of the earliest insects to emerge in spring, especially mason bees that pollinate fruit blossoms. But in December, they’re completely still—tucked away as larvae or pupae inside protective cells.

Where solitary bees overwinter:

• In hollow stems of raspberries, brambles, hogweed, or ornamental flowers
• Inside last summer’s drilled bee hotel tubes (never clear these out until late spring!)
• Underground in small burrows (for mining bees)
• In crumbling walls and old timber

Cutting back every stem in winter can remove the next generation of bees entirely. Leaving a few “wild corners” isn’t laziness—it’s good orchard management.

Hoverflies: The Masters of Disguise

Hoverflies look like wasps in summer but are gentle pollinators with larvae that tackle aphids for you. By December, most are overwintering as larvae in leaf litter or soil, or as pupae attached to plant stems.

Favoured hiding places:

• Among fallen leaves
• In rotting vegetation
• Beneath perennial clumps
• As pupae attached to stems or fence posts

Their survival depends on having undisturbed pockets of vegetation during the leanest months. A complete winter clear-out can wipe out whole generations.

Ground Beetles: Patrolling Below the Frost Line

Ground beetles are the allotment’s night-shift pest controllers, devouring slugs, slug eggs, leatherjackets, and other soil-level troublemakers. In winter, they stay active on mild evenings but often hide deep in the soil when temperatures drop.

Where to find them:

• Under stones, boards, or black plastic
• Deep in compost heaps
• Beneath logs or pallets
• Under weed membrane edges
• In leaf piles and mulch

A single log pile can shelter dozens of beetles—your best defence against spring slug invasions.

Why Winter Shelter Matters on the Allotment

The allotment is a mosaic of microhabitats—stems, compost heaps, sheds, log piles, mulch layers, cold frames—all of which become critical havens in winter. These structures bridge the gap between seasons, helping insect populations survive until the resurgence of spring growth.

When we leave stems standing, keep a few corners wild, or resist the urge to overly tidy, we’re not being neglectful—we’re actively cultivating biodiversity. In turn, these beneficial insects repay us by pollinating crops, controlling pests, and maintaining healthy soil ecosystems.

Simple Ways to Support Beneficial Insects This December

• Leave hollow stems standing until at least April.
• Avoid digging or disturbing soil where burrowing insects may be pupating.
• Create log and stick piles for beetles and solitary bees.
• Keep some leaf litter in perennial beds and around fruit trees.
• Provide dry shelters in sheds and greenhouses—lacewings love them.
• Protect bee hotels from rain and birds during winter.

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