Learn how to count with ladybirds

Have you heard that ladybirds get more spots the older they get? It’s not true. It’s true that you can find ladybirds with different patterns, but that’s because there are different kinds of ladybirds. There are more than 50 different species in Denmark. Ladybirds don’t try to hide themselves like many other insects. They have bright colours, so they are easy to find. These kinds of colours are called warning colours. They tell hungry birds that it’s not worth trying to eat a ladybird – they taste terrible! If you pick up a ladybird, it might squeeze out a small, orange drop. It isn’t peeing on your hand, it’s bleeding! Ladybird blood smells and tastes awful.

See how many different ladybirds you can find on a walk at Bøtø and count how many spots they have. Some of them don’t have any at all. The one with the most spots is called the 24-spot ladybird, and yes, you guessed correctly, it has 24 spots.