LAST summer provided a welcome boost to butterfly populations, according to the latest survey.

And this year, people in Andover are experiencing a higher number of butterflies populating their garden.

A resident from Picket Piece, who wishes to remain anonymous, told The Advertiser: "It's crazy the amount of butterflies I am finding in my garden this year.

"I feel particularly bombarded with butterflies appearing all over the place this year.

"The butterflies like to land on my vegetable patch in a swarm, and it can be tricky to get rid of them.

In 2019, butterflies came out in force and were known as the "painted lady year", with almost half a million of the migratory butterflies recorded.

Results from members of the public participating in the survey run by Butterfly Conservation have allowed the wildlife to confirm that 2019 was a year when unusually high numbers of painted ladies ended up in the UK.

Results from the Big Butterfly Count, which took place over three weeks in the summer, show that the number of painted lady butterflies was almost 30 times greater than in 2018.

The resident continued: "And it's like 2019 is repeating itself.

"I am finding the butterflies annoying because they come out of nowhere and like to take over my vegetable patch."