{"id":16939,"date":"2024-07-11T10:32:24","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T09:32:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rentokil.co.uk\/blog\/?p=16939"},"modified":"2025-05-09T10:01:19","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T09:01:19","slug":"mythical-flant-flying-ants-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rentokil.co.uk\/blog\/mythical-flant-flying-ants-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Flying Ant Day: Fact vs. Fiction | Pest Control Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The phenomenon, flying ants day (or flant day) occurs for a brief period every summer (July \/ August) and is not as bizarre as it first seems. These winged ants are in fact the familiar black garden ants<\/a> (Lasius niger)<\/em> usually found in lawns, flower beds, under patio slabs and if you are unlucky, foraging through your kitchen cupboards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These winged wonders wait for the perfect conditions \u2013 warm, humid weather with little wind. Sprouting wings for a fleeting time, they take a “nuptial flight,” swarming together to mate with ants from other colonies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flying Ant Day<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Flying ants<\/a> day is really a short season, lasting from mid-July to late August, depending on the right weather conditions. This is when ant colonies release winged males and future queens on a mission to mate and start new ant colonies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul Blackhurst, Technical Academy Head at Rentokil Pest Control explains:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFlying ant day, also known as the nuptial flight, is a natural phenomenon in which high numbers of ants with wings, called alates, take to the air simultaneously in search of mates from other colonies. The term \u2018flying ant day\u2019 often prompts the common misconception that this annual event occurs within the space of just a day, but in reality, it actually occurs sporadically across different parts of the UK as and when the weather conditions and temperature are right. This natural phenomenon is in fact a survival tactic designed to overwhelm potential predators such as swifts and gulls, thereby increasing their chances of survival.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mating takes place on the wing between the fertile male (the smaller flying ant) and the unmated female (the larger flying ant). Once mating has finished both will fall to the ground where the male dies and the new, now fertile queen, loses her wings and then starts to bury herself underground to form a new nest.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFlant\u201d or \u2018flying ant day\u2019 is a colloquial term for this mass of swarming insects. This may appear to be a timed event but is just a localised response to the most suitable weather conditions for mating.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"flying-black-garden-ant-Lasius-niger-landing-on-white-window-sill-after-flant-day-nuptial-flight\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

How to get rid of flying ants<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Flying ants<\/a> may be a frustration whilst you try and enjoy a barbecue, picnic, or a relaxing drink in the pub beer garden this summer, but these swarms are short-lived, usually lasting just a few hours. They are also important to the environment \u2013 aerating soil, recycling nutrients, and providing food for birds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they are causing you a nuisance indoors, here are some helpful ant prevention<\/a> tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deny them entry!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n