Experts have indicated that a surge in flying ants is imminent across the UK, driven by an ideal combination of sporadic wet and mild weather conditions. Known as Flying Ant Day, this annual mating flight involves countless winged ants taking to the skies in coordinated swarms, and it could be among the largest in recent memory. Despite its name, the event often spans multiple days and has even been recorded lasting several weeks in some years.
Earlier and More Intense Swarms Predicted
According to specialists at Best Ants UK, this year's Flying Ant Day is likely to "come earlier and be more intense than before." The Natural History Museum explains that these flying ants, referred to as alates, are almost always the sexually mature queens and males of the black garden ant (Lasius niger) in built-up areas of the UK. The larger ants are the queens, which can measure up to 15 millimetres in length.
Urban Heat Island Effect
Ants tend to take flight sooner in urban areas compared to rural regions, likely due to higher temperatures in cities—a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect. Best Ants UK added that swarms often first appear in southern regions such as Cornwall and Kent before spreading northwards across the UK.
