Autumn Beetles

October is a key time for the emergence and dispersal of adult heather beetles. This year, we have heard a wide range of different emergence dates for heather beetles across Britain, with some beetles being seen at the end of August. Near the Heather Trust's headquarters at Dumfries, the beetles emerged at the very end of September or the beginning of October.

For a few days, the damaged heather was smothered with beetles feeding on the plants and scrambling through the moss, but following a cold snap of weather, all beetle activity came to an abrupt end. Just three days after seeing hundreds of beetles, it was impossible to find even one on the same few square feet of moorland.

Perhaps their ability to suddenly appear and then vanish again without warning is the root of much confusion and mystery about heather beetles. It is perfectly possible to lose large areas of heather without ever seeing a single larva, let alone a beetle.

Reports continue to reach us of beetle outbreaks during 2013, but so far these are presenting a patchy picture with a trend towards smaller, less concentrated beetle attacks. So far, the largest outbreak has taken place in the Peak District, where a moor of 70Ha has suffered damage to approximately 90% of its heather plants. Other than this devastating outbreak, there has been nothing to parallel the vast enormity of previous attacks in Caithness, Exmoor and Langholm Moor.