A BUTTERFLY house has opened at Bents in Glazebury.

It can be found in the Warrington Road garden centre’s Open Skies Glass House where youngsters can get up close with numerous species of the winged insects.

The attraction is open throughout the summer holidays and has launched in time for the national ‘Big Butterfly Count’, which encourages spotters to take part until August 11.

The UK’s 59 species of butterflies – 57 residents and two migrants – react quickly to changes in the environment and monitoring them can help assess the health of our surroundings. The carefully monitored Butterfly House is central to Bents’ celebration of the creatures, with added activities including a butterfly themed treasure hunt, a spotters’ guide and advice on the best butterfly-friendly plants and products.

Last year around 100,000 people took part in the survey and 97,133 butterflies and day flying moths were counted.

The numbers were not as high as expected and it is thought the early start to last year’s heatwave led to many species starting their flight before the count began.

Bents has also just launched a lakeside grill which is open throughout the summer between Wednesday and Sunday until September 1 with a choice of gourmet burgers on offer.