Wednesday 15 August 2018


Flying ants: everything you need to know

It's flying ant season again. Eleanor Doughty brings you the low-down on the pesky critters, and how to get rid of them

Photo: Alamy

Unless you've been trapped in a nature vacuum for the past few weeks, you might have noticed a sudden increase in the number of ants out and about.

Not just any old ants - the typically small, crawly ones that get into your sandwiches at the park and nibble your ankles, but great big flying ones. Every year there is a flying ant invasion, and 2015 is no different.

It's so serious that some go as far as calling it Flying Ant Day. According to the Royal Society of Biology (RSB), Flying Ant Day 2015 was on Friday 31 July, but the ants don't appear to have got the memo.

Essentially, we are getting in the way of lots of randy ants

The UK is still under seige by flying ants.

The RSB started a Flying Ant Survey to collate the nation's experiences with ants and further inform their research in the area.

The hashtag for this is #flyingantsurvey and is awash with people's videos and photographs of ants swarming all over their properties, and in their picnic baskets.

Like the National History Museum's Orchid Observers project, the RSB's Flying Ant Survey is an example of citizen science, and is important for the organisation to be able to track, monitor and keep tabs on how different species operates.

What is happening?

We are facing an invasion of flying ants! They are everywhere: in your gardens, under your picnic blankets, and infiltrating your garden sheds

Why is it happening?

It is mating season. Scientists blame the unusually balmy climate, and the thought that there is a very little rain on the scene.

The warmer climes put ants in the mood to mate: as long as there's no chance of rain, no predators lurking and lots of fertile ants around then it's on for flying ant breeding.

#flyingantday Found these in the garden... It's flying ant day

A video posted by Life's A Stitch (@stitch.lifesa) on

Further to that, ants don't keep their mating at home. The males and females all fly out of the nests at the same time, before separating to avoid cross-breeding. The females release their pheromones into the air to attract new males.

Happy Flant Day everyone! Good luck! #flyingantday

A photo posted by Dougie Poynter (@idougahole) on

Once she's found a male that seems interested, she plays hard to get and leaves the male ant to chase her.

Is there anything we can do?

There are a few ways of getting rid of flying ants if you are being colonised by the little pests.

Some desperate Britons, tired of ants, may advocate extreme, and some may say, cruel, measures - including pouring boiling water over ants outside to kill a colony.

The best solution, if you find yourself battling ants indoors, is to find the source of the problem.

Find the offending entry point and seal it up. That should at least halt your problem - for now.

To find out more about the RSB's Flying Ant Survey visit, and follow the hashtag #flyingantsurvey.

More from Telegraph Gardening


More from the web


More from the web

More from the web

Back to top

© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2018

Terms and Conditions

Today's News


Style Book

Weather Forecast