WHEN people say "infestation", images of nasty cockroaches and evil insects immediately come to mind. But what if your house was infested with something rather different, like butterflies?
The prospect of sharing a home with these delicate creatures may seem a bit daunting to some and peculiar to most.
Michelle Tighe, who lives off the Crondall Road in Farnham, and her fiancé, Joseph Eames, had been trying to sell their property when two weeks ago some unexpected visitors paid them a call.
"At first, there were just two or three of them that came in gradually through the window to escape the heat," said Michelle.
Now, between 30 and 50 butterflies have established their own social club in the stairwell of Michelle and Joseph's house.
"It's hard to count them though, as they all flutter about in groups," joked Michelle.
The butterflies are all said to be members of the Red Admiral species.
They seem to have little intention of nesting and merely flutter harmlessly about at the top of Ms Tighe's staircase, producing an idyllic scene that could have come straight out of a Disney film.
"We love wildlife, so we don't really mind," explained Michelle.
"But as we are trying to sell the house we may need to find another butterfly lover."
The couple are reluctant to resort to extermination methods, and are hoping the butterflies will leave peacefully, the same way they arrived.
Anna Bell from the organisation Butterfly Conservation, confirmed the rarity of this type of incident.
"Red Admirals are migrant butterflies from the south" said Ms Bell.
"They have been observed to accumulate in large numbers, before flying off south."
It would appear that Michelle and Joseph have the "south style" conditions to thank for their new friends.
Unfortunately, when the butterflies depart, they will probably take the weather with them.