What is Flying Ant Day? Here's how to get rid of the bugs

"What's with all the flying ants?" - we can't be the only ones asking the question.

In recent weeks, swarms of the little bugs have been invading our gardens and green spaces as we try and lap up the last of the sunshine.

It may seem like something out of a horror movie, but it is in fact a bit of a summer phenomenon, and it happens every year on the same day, all across the UK.

The build up in ants can last a few weeks until it reaches a peak day, when millions of flying ants come out at the same time all over the country.

Last year, social media was flooded with posts by people claiming to be "creeped out" by the invasion of them over Britain, and according to the Mirror , the same is expected to occur again very soon.

Here’s everything you need to know in preparation for the great flying ant invasion.

How to get rid of them

While the flying ants don't pose much danger to people in the UK - other than being very annoying - here are six top tips from the web to help you tackle the little creatures head-on.

Although these are suggested methods, Get West London doesn't necessarily condone them.

1. Spray the ants with dishwashing soap

Dishwashing soap is an effective agent against flying ants, as it attaches to their bodies and dehydrates them.

Get yourself a spray bottle to catch the little creatures in flight and mix two generous squirts of dish washing liquid with water.

2. Catch them with sticky tape

Lure the little things in with a food source and place some tape as close as possible with the sticky side up.

3. Attack ants with an artificial sweetener

Certain types of sweeteners are very toxic for ants. For example, if you mix in the sweetener with apple juice, it forms a viscous paste that the ants will carry back to the colony.

Once consumed there, it will kill off a portion of their population.

4. Use insecticidal powder

An insecticidal lacquer can be applied around door thresholds or wall and floor junctions where ants run, or spray these areas with an insecticidal aerosol which is labelled for this use.

5. Place tin cans over the ant hill

This should be done in the morning. As it heats up, the ants take their eggs up into the can.

In the afternoon slide a piece of cardboard under each can, and remove and dispose of the eggs. They make a nice treat for birds, especially chickens.

6. Pour boiling water into the ant hill

Once you have located the ant hill, pour boiling water over it. This should kill most of the ants and detract other ones from coming back.

However, keep in mind when killing flying ants that they are actually good for outdoor environments. They aerate soil, help to cycle nutrients, improve garden fertility and control pests.

Flying ants also provide a vital food resource for many species of birds, particularly swifts and gulls.

When is Flying Ant Day?

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There’s no exact date every year, but Flying Ant Day usually falls in July.

It is thought to be when a spell of wet weather is followed closely by hot humid weather, and Queen ants take this as their cue to seek males to mate with.

What is it and why does it occur?

National Flying Ant Day is when male and female ants sprout wings and venture out of their nests on a "nuptial flight", seeking ants from other colonies to mate with.

According to the Society of Biology , nuptial flight is an important phase in the reproduction of the ant species. During the flight, virgin queens mate with males and then land to start a new colony.

The flying ants you encounter in your town or garden are almost certainly the black garden variety, the Lasius niger. Their nests have a single queen and typically around 5,000 workers, although there can be as many as 15,000.

The ants you see throughout most of the year are workers, collecting food for the colony. Workers are all female and will be alive as adults for about a month. The flying ants you see once a year are males and young queens.

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Queens can live for over 10 years and spend most of their lives in their nest. New queens, however, will leave to mate and found a colony of their own.

The "nuptial flight" is why ants fly. Ants mate during flight, so males and young queens both have wings. If you look carefully at flying ants you will see that some are much larger; these are the queens.

The large numbers of flying ants which appear in a short space of time increase the chance of reproduction: there is a very high chance a queen will encounter a male from another nest.

Once the males and immature queens have mated, the queens then try to start a new nest. The queens lose their wings, and after a "Flying Ant Day" you can sometimes see large ants walking around on their own. These are new queens looking for somewhere to set up their nest.