Swarms Of Flying Ants

Ant infestations produce swarms of flying ants at this time of year; this happened during the tennis matches at Wimbledon last week. Ant swarms are often seen outside but can happen inside too, which is very unpleasant.

Ant nests are in the ground and the ants are usually seen crawling around; these are worker ants which have no wings. When the temperature and humidity are perfect in the summer though, normally in hot and humid conditions in July, then the ants grow wings and fly, producing a swarm of hundreds of flying ants.

There are smaller, male ants and larger, queen ants in a swarm; the males and queens mate in the frenzy of the swarm. The males die pretty soon afterwards but the queens go on to try and establish a new ant nest of their own.

The best way to get rid of an ant swarm is to control the ant infestation and ant nest that it came from. It is easy to see signs of an ant nest; for example, little mounds of earth at the edges of walls, doors and paving stones and worker ants being seen on the ground and appearing in rooms inside. It is very important not to ignore an ant infestation or ants being found inside a house, even if only a few ants are being seen. The presence of these ants indicates that there is a nest, maybe more than one nest, in the bases of the walls or very close to the building, even though the nest itself can’t be seen. Swarms of flying ants could be produced by these nests, and no one wants ant swarms inside a building or around open windows and doors in hot weather.

Ant control will limit the ant infestation and the size of the ant nests and reduce the chances of swarming ants. It is best to get it done at the very first signs of an ant problem and ant infestation, normally in the early summer, though it can be done at any time of year that an ant problem occurs.