Why one man is dispatching 50,000 ladybirds to households across Ireland every week

Demand for natural pest control is soaring as gardeners embrace native ladybirds to protect plants without chemical pesticides

Thomas Quearney from Mr Middleton garden shop releasing ladybirds in his garden in Glasnevin, Dublin. Picture: Gareth Chaney

A box of live ladybirds might not be the first purchase that springs to mind while in the midst of a frenzied online shopping spree.

And yet, Thomas Quearney from Mr Middleton Garden Shop in Dublin is dispatching an average of 50,000 to households across Ireland every week.