UK households urged to leave cloves near windows this week

Brits have reported seeing swarms of one insect that has taken them by surprise. UK households are accustomed to seeing certain insects appear in their homes at specific times of the year. Flying Ant Day, for example, takes place at the top of the summer, while spiders make their way into homes in the late summer and early autumn months. However, another insect is making an appearance, and it actually carries STDs into homes.

A slew of Brits have reported seeing swarms of ladybirds in their homes over the past few days. These types of ladybirds, which are not native to the UK, have been making appearances since 2004 and can appear orange with black spots or black with red spots. While they don't usually pose a threat, they do actually carry bacteria and even STDs. They are making their way into homes as October sees some warm weather in the UK, giving them a chance to fly around and find shelter for the winter.

Ladybirds will enter your home through open doors and windows, or through gaps and cracks around your walls and windows. However, if you want to keep them away, you should try one clever trick.

Like many pests, there are certain smells that ladybirds can't stand. Certain odours will interfere with their sense of smell, causing them to stay well clear of it. One of those smells is the scent of cloves.

Cloves are available in many supermarkets across the country and are commonly used as a spice in Asian dishes. However, they can also keep ladybirds out of your home. That is according to Southern Living.

They recommend clove as one of the options due to its pungent smell. In fact, it can also help to keep ants, flies, cockroaches and spiders away for the same reason.

If you don't have cloves, there is no need to run out and get some if you have other things in your kitchen cupboard or fridge. You can also use lemons, limes and bay leaves to keep ladybugs out of your home.

Professor Helen Roy at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and University of Exeter told Manchester Evening News: "Winter is a tough time for ladybirds in Britain, and so during the winter months they become dormant. Each species has a favoured place to spend the winter - some, such as harlequin ladybirds, enter buildings while 7-spot ladybirds tuck themselves under leaf litter."