There's been a huge outbreak of ladybirds invading homes in Greater Manchester - and it hasn't gone unnoticed.

Scores of people have posted on social media about the little polka-dot shelled critters appearing in living rooms, on roofs and in gardens over the last few days.

On Wednesday, Marie tweeted: "Anyone else having ladybird issues in the Manchester area?"

And Sainey Njie said her garden was swarming with so many bugs that she couldn't even sit outside to enjoy the sunshine.

She tweeted: "Sunny day in Manchester, but can't make use of my garden coz #ladybirds. All over the place. What is it with all these ladybirds?"

Then Kaff, who is based in Salford, tweeted that he'd seen about five on Wednesday. He said their presence was 'driving the cats mad'.

Mart tweeted that he saw them all over his house in Bredbury, and saw a few through the vents too.

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An amazing photo was tweeted of the insects swarming around the roof at Abney Hall Park in Cheadle by Manchester Weather.

The picture was taken by Daniel Holmes, he said.

But why have people been noticing the insects all of a sudden?

Firstly, it's due to the weather conditions.

Animal invasions

There has been a boost in insect numbers during the long hot summer, which will now have moved indoors as it gets cooler.

Professor Helen Roy at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, told the BBC that the reports first started in the north of England, where the weather turned cool, before spreading further down south.

She said: "It's quite a wildlife spectacle to see."

Peter Brown, senior lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, said they are most likely to be Harlequin ladybirds.

That particular breed flies in from Asia and North America on mild autumn winds.

Although they are safe for humans, the Harlequins actually pose a threat to the domestic species because they carry a horrible STDs, called the Laboulbeniales fungal disease.