Flying ants are known to make an appearance when
the weather gets warmer
. Flying ants are the reproductive members of an ant colony. They include both male ants and future queen ants, their purpose is to leave the nest, mate during a “nuptial flight,” and establish new colonies.
In the UK, particularly in urban areas,
the winged insects
you see are almost always the sexually mature queens and males of the black garden ant, and the larger ants are the queens. Experts at British Pest Control Association (BPCA) have said swarms of flying ants are not cause for alarm for householders in the North West
Ants will take wing to mate for a short period of time in July or August, known as flying ant season. Young queens will emerge from the nest and take flight in a bid to mate with males from other colonies.
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Niall Gallagher, technical manager at BPCA said: “It’s not entirely true that ants only fly for one day each year, but the mating season does tend to be just a few days in July or August. Mating takes place in the air during the swarming nuptial flight, but the ants will disappear within a few hours and are best left alone.”
Male ants will die shortly after mating, while the queens will chew off their wings and find a nest site where she will stay for the winter. Niall added: “Flying ant season isn’t necessarily a cause for concern.
“However, if you have ants in your garden or near to your home, it is sensible to keep a close eye on them and make sure they don’t make their way indoors. They are highly organised social insects that are attracted to sweet foodstuffs and may invade buildings in search of food.”
The most common ant in the UK is the black garden ant
, but in large centrally heated buildings such as apartment blocks, tropical species such as Pharaoh’s ants and Ghost ants can become a problem and should always be dealt with by a BPCA member as they’re “much more difficult to control.”
BPCA members are trained, experienced professionals with access to a range of specialist products not available to the public. They are trained, qualified and regularly assessed to the British Standard in Pest Management.
According to the Royal Society of Biology, there is not always one flying ant day, with around 96% of days between June and September bringing sightings of the flying ants in their swarms. When
weather
conditions are favourable for flying ants, they might continuously take to the skies for weeks on end.
Temperatures in the UK are exceeding 30C in some areas of the UK today and through to the weekend. An amber heat health alert has been issued across England, The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)’s latest heat health warnings for England include all regions, and are in effect from midday on Thursday to 9am on Monday.
The amber alert indicates that “significant impacts are likely” across health and social care services, and warns there could be “a rise in deaths” among people with pre-existing health conditions and those aged over 65.
Deputy chief meteorologist Dan Holley said thundery showers may be possible heading into Saturday morning, with “tropical nights” a possibility as parts of the UK approach heatwave territory.
