The UK is in the middle of a hot heat wave with the hottest day of the year yet declared to be the weekend. But people who wanted to enjoy the hot weather may also have encountered swarms of flying ants as part of a phenomenon called Flying Ant Day. On this day, winged ants leave their nests for the “wedding flight” to find a mate before settling down to build new ant colonies.
Is it flying ant day?
Contrary to what the name suggests, Flying Ant Day is not a set day every year.
In parts of the country, the phenomenon can occur at different times during the summer months.
Flying ants were spotted on the Met Office weather radar over London earlier this month.
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While another Twitter user said, “Flying ants are going to hit the UK today. Get ready, folks!”
While many saw the winged insects this weekend, experts urge people to leave the ants alone as their process is important to the environment.
Environmental scientist Aidan O’Hanlon told RSVP Live, “They can seem a nuisance, but ants are ecologically essential.
“Through their nesting behavior, they provide ventilation in the ground and in summer, when the ants swarm in large numbers, serve as a food source for birds, spiders, wasps and other insects.”
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“Towards the end of the first week of July there was evidence of flying ant activity over London.
“It is expected to be seen over the south coast for the next few days before the phenomenon can be seen further north later in the month.
“Flying swarms of ants were detected by the Met Office radar, as revealed in his tweet.”
In the past, Flying Ant Day in the UK often took place sometime in July.
However, Flying Ant Day can take place in the UK anytime between June and early September.
The Natural History Museum explains that the day ants leave their nests for the wedding flight usually coincides with a time of “hot and humid weather”.
The museum’s website stated, “Winged ants appear at different times across the country and local weather conditions are critical to coordinating swarming activities.
“Ants tend to fly earlier in urban areas than in rural areas, likely because temperatures in urban settings are generally warmer, known as the urban heat island effect.”
