but mostly the Ivy for early Christmas gifts. More...

The butterflies have gone, the dragonflies are sitting out the winter underwater, but it's surprising how many insects overwinter as adults. They may not be active and obvious, and while the weather is bad they need somewhere to shelter from the rain and frost. Moss and leaf litter are saturated and can freeze solid, but a nice thick coat of Ivy on a wall or a tree trunk is warm (relatively!) and dry. "Beating" (actually more like stirring or brushing around the depths of the Ivy layer) over a tray or an umbrella will produce a wide range of insects - beetles, bugs, flies, spiders and many more. You'll need sharp eyes though - the rarest and most interesting species are very small. Take your hand lens with you!