Where Our Hidden Helpers Go During Winter
When December arrives, and the allotment seems quiet, it’s easy to think all insects have disappeared. Ladybirds, hoverflies, lacewings, and pollinators may be hidden, but winter is just a quieter part of their life cycle. Many are still on the plot—you just need to know where to look.
Understanding where insects overwinter is key to managing an allotment that supports wildlife year-round. A winter-friendly plot gives these hidden helpers the safe spaces they need to survive, ensuring they return in spring ready to defend your crops and pollinate your fruit trees.
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
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