AREAS around Greater Hamilton were invaded earlier in the week at evening and into the night by what one local referred to as the “annual bugmageddon”.

Blackheaded pasture cockchafers are known by a number of other names, such as rain or storm beetles, as they seem to come out like clockwork one or two nights a year in late January or early February after a decent rain event.

The adults emerge and fly out from the ground on a calm and mild evening – and are attracted to light, which becomes a significant nuisance for locals.

A social media post on a Hamilton group discussed the situation with dozens of comments from people from as far away as Muntham, Merino, Dunkeld, Cavendish, Caramut, Wannon and Wallacedale:

“My house was invaded by them last night. They even got in under the door.”

“Best thing to do is when you notice them turn all the lights off and they will go away.”

“Hundreds of them came into my house last night through the light fixtures and fan.”

“Stopped into the Dunkeld toilet and there was piles and piles of them.”

“We have a gap along our back room as it was a new addition done before we purchased the home. That will be fixed! They were coming in right along the whole floor edge! Had them climbing on us and down our shirts. Was horrible!”

“Make a huge mess on my windscreen when heading into work for night shift. Yuk.”

“We had them crashing into our bathroom window just to get to the light.”

“I had to turn off all lights including TV.”

“Yeah they were insane last night… had to sit in the dark so they would stay out… woke this morning to hundreds of them.”

“The outside of our house was carpeted with them this morning.”

Also discussed was the history of the annual infestation, with some remembering how one time it severely affected central Hamilton.

“Anyone got photos of Coles years ago when they were a foot deep?”

“They were like that 21 years ago as I was heading to hospital with my eldest.”

“There were millions of the things.”

“We were talking about this today. It was in our old store the ceiling collapsed and they lifted the tiles on the floor. Definitely not as bad now.”

“Remember when they got into the video shop and got into the tapes!”

Agriculture Victoria lists the beetle under the ‘priority pest insects and mites’ section on its website and describes the pest’s one-year life cycle, the nature of the damage it causes to pasture (especially in winter) and control techniques for farmers.

“Their presence may be noted by small mounds of soil around their tunnel entrances,” the website said.

“The larvae, and the damage they cause, gradually spreads out until the areas of infestation and the improved pasture species can seemingly start to 'disappear' very quickly.

“Blackheaded pasture cockchafer may constitute a minor problem in years with good rains when pasture is more plentiful but, in a drier season, when feed is short, this loss of pasture is problematical.”

For locals dealing with the swarms around their homes and properties, some had an easy solution the following day.

“I put a bucket under the outside light last night and this morning my chooks got a free feed.”

“My ducks love them, so funny to watch them chasing them around the yard trying to catch them…lols”

“Yes they were here, but gone now because the magpies loved them so much.”

Agriculture Victoria has an exotic plant pest hotline to report any unusual plant pest or disease immediately on 1800 084 881.