Giant bug looks spot on to wreak ecological havoc in killing spree

LAST Monday I mentioned that I thought cuckoos were more plentiful this year than they have been in recent years and asked if any readers had noticed the same thing.

I got a big response – and the emails are still coming in. Every one of them agrees there are more cuckoos around than usual and they report them in counties Limerick, Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Clare and Kilkenny.

Another creature that seems to have declined in numbers in recent years is the ladybird. Like cuckoos, ladybirds tend to be well-liked and we all know they eat greenfly and other garden pests, so if they are declining they’ll be missed.