Despite the cold weather, you may come across insects in your garden. Clusters of ladybirds like to shelter in conifers, dead seedheads or stems, where they huddle together to keep warm.

On mild winter days you might catch sight of buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestis), which are increasingly seen flying in winter.

Since the 1990s some buff-tailed bumblebee populations they can be active throughout the winter. This is particularly true of cities, where it's warmer, with more flowering plants such as mahonia (and more observers). A few colonies survived well enough to mate very early in spring. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust is investigating this phenomenon and trying to find out why the bees are working in winter.

Warm winter weather may also tempt out hoverflies, including droneflies. The long hoverfly (Meliscavea auricolis) overwinter as adults in sheltered places such as deep inside ivy on walls or trees or inside a thick hedge.

Let us know what you spot this month via our social media channels @gardenorganicuk.