It’s the information British individuals have been ready for… summer season has lastly arrived.

However sadly, alongside it comes the dreaded ‘Flying Ant Day’. And based on reviews, it has now began within the UK.

Yearly, swarms of winged ants emerge from their nests underneath lawns, flower beds, and spilling out from between cracks within the pavement to seek out companions with whom they may create new colonies and repeat the method advert nauseam.

Usually black backyard ants of the genus Lasius niger, they often collect in such numbers that they register as thick drifting clouds on climate radars.

Why does it occur?

The explanation ants emerge from the bottom on this sudden trend is as a result of they’ve reached the “nuptial flight” section of their reproductive cycles, at which level these with wings (generally known as alates) – virgin queen ants (or princesses) and male drones, however not flightless feminine staff – depart their nests in the hunt for new colonies, transferring as one for defense.

Because the queens race off, they emit pheromones to draw mates whereas flying as quick as they will to make sure that solely the quickest and most succesful males can attain them.

That is an instance of pure choice in motion, because the species makes sure that solely the strongest examples of the species get to move on their genes to the following era.

The unfold to recent colonies additional afield additionally serves to restrict inbreeding, because it means ants can combine with mates from different nests.

A queen – which may develop to 15mm in size and stay for so long as 15 years within the wild, based on the Pure Historical past Museum (NHM) – might have a number of mates in the course of the nuptial flight and protect their semen inside her stomach for a lifetime, with a view to fertilising future eggs.

She’s going to go on to discard her wings by chewing them off and kind new nests underground, however her male suitors will merely fall to the bottom and die – their purpose for current.

Is it simply at some point of the yr?

No. Regardless of being late comic Sean Lock’s favorite day within the calendar, what’s colloquially generally known as ‘Flying Ant Day’ can really final for a number of weeks. In Britain and Eire, flying ant days sometimes happen in July or August, usually in hotter city areas first, when the climate is scorching and humid and when winds are low.

Temperature is a key issue, with the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) noting ant swarms hardly ever emerge whether it is cooler than 13C, and says 25C is their most well-liked seasonal common.

The RSB, by the way, argues we should always consider flying ant seasons, quite than remoted days. It says ants might nicely take to the air on a number of events over the course of a British summer season, relying on the atmospheric circumstances, the species of ant in query and the character of their habitat amongst different variables.

However there may be usually a day every summer season which sees sufficient individuals on social media complain in regards to the bugs, and #FlyingAntDay begins to development.

What can we do about it?

There may be not a lot we will do, sadly. The most effective guess is to easily keep out of their approach.

Batten down the hatches and console your self with the integral position ants play within the upkeep of pure ecosystems.

Their colonies assist to maintain the soil aerated for the green-fingered amongst you.

This yr Brits seen elevated exercise of their final predator the seagull, who can hoover up 1000’s in a day. Even foxes have been noticed making an attempt to dine out on the swarms.

For those who do get bitten or stung, don’t be alarmed. The NHS states that such occurrences are “typically innocent, though you’ll most likely really feel a nip”.