VIDEO: Surge in Heather Beetle Threatens Health of Moorlands

The video and words below were posted on Facebook by the Peak District Moorland Group on 28th March 2025.

We are witnessing a huge increase in adult heather beetle at the moment which doesn’t bode well for the health of our moorland areas.

The adults commonly emerge when the day temperatures average around 10 degrees centigrade, the female beetle then lays upto 1000 eggs in the moss and damp leaf litter in early April.

When the grubs hatch in early July, they feast on the green heather plants before dropping off and pupating over the winter.

The effect of a large number of grubs feasting on the green shoots has been found to compromise the health of the heather, which over a number of years has led to the heather plants dying and the encroachment of molinia grasses, leaving our moorland areas far more susceptible to large scale wildfires.

If you are a fan of healthy moors and the sight of a magnificent heather bloom in late summer, you should be concerned about the increase of this beetle.