People are being warned to prepare as “tens of millions of ants” take flight across the country next month.
Flying Ant Day is the nickname experts give to an annual event when millions of winged male and female ants fly out of their colonies to mate in the air.
While this is usually chaotic enough, experts reckon this year’s Flying Ant Day could be the worst of its kind in years.
The hot and wet weather we’ve had over the last few weeks have created the perfect environment for large swarms of flying ants to develop.
Despite its name, there is no fixed date for Flying Ant Day, but it usually takes place over a number of weeks between July and August.
This year the insect experts at Best Ants UK think they’ve narrowed down a realistic timeframe.
‘Flying Ant Day in 2025 is predicted to occur earlier than usual, with peak activity anticipated around 22 and 25 of July,’ they said.
With most cities located further from natural ant habitats, you might think that living in a big town would offer protection from the swarms of ants, but, due to the hotter temperatures urban environments typically create, they're actually at greater risk of early ant action.
Paul Blackhurst, Head of the Technical Academy at Rentokil Pest Control, warned: "In past years, radar systems have even mistaken these dense clouds of ants for rain.
"Experts predict that this year could see larger-than-usual swarms of flying ants, as we approach Flying Ant Day, also known as the nuptial flight, and sometimes nicknamed 'flant day'.
"This natural event, when vast numbers of winged ants, known as alates, take to the skies at once in search of mates from other colonies, could be one of the most prolific for years.
Despite the drastic nature of the warning, there are still some steps that we can take to minimise the chaos the ants can create.
Rentokil Pest Control have suggested keeping outside doors shut and storing food in airtight containers to keep the ants at bay.
