What Is Flying Ant Day?
On warm, humid days in summer, usually in July, you may suddenly see thousands of winged ants take to the air all at once. This is often called flying ant day, although in reality it plays out over several days and tends to peak whenever the weather is warm and still.
The flying ants are the breeding stage of the common black garden ant (Lasius niger). The winged ants are young queens and males leaving the nest together on a mating flight, known as the nuptial flight. After mating, the males die and the new queens shed their wings and head off to start nests of their own. It is a completely natural part of the ant lifecycle.
Do Flying Ants Bite, Sting or Cause Damage?
The good news is that flying ants are harmless. Black garden ants do not sting, and although they can give the tiniest nip, they do not bite in any way that matters. They do not spread disease and, unlike termites - which we do not have in the UK - they pose no structural risk to your home.
The real issue is the sheer nuisance of so many ants appearing at once, often around doors, windows, patios and bins, and sometimes finding their way indoors. It is a short-lived event, but an annoying one while it lasts.
Harmless but a Nuisance
- Black garden ants do not sting and are not dangerous
- No disease risk and no structural damage to your home
- The swarm is a natural, short-lived mating flight
- Mostly an outdoor event around patios, paths and bins
When It Is Worth Treating
- You get flying ants indoors year after year in the same spot
- Large numbers emerge from inside walls, floors or cavities
- There is an established nest under a patio, path or foundation
- Shop-bought powders and sprays are not keeping them away
Flying Ant Questions
The winged ants are the colony's breeding stage - young queens and males. Once a year, when conditions are warm and humid, they grow wings and leave the nest together to mate in mid-air. That is why they seem to appear from nowhere all at once.
No. The common black garden ant does not sting, and any nip is harmless. They are a nuisance rather than a danger, and they do not spread disease.
The biggest swarms usually pass within a few hours to a couple of days, timed to the warmest, stillest weather. The wider flying ant season can run on and off for a few weeks across the summer as different colonies take flight.
No. Unlike termites, which the UK does not have, garden ants do not eat wood or damage the structure of your home. The main concern is the numbers, and the inconvenience of them getting indoors.
Colonies respond to the same weather triggers - warm, humid, settled conditions with little wind. When the right day arrives, nests across a wide area take flight together, which gives the impression of a single nationwide flying ant day.
Yes. Winged ants are produced by an established colony, so if they are emerging from your home or garden the nest is nearby. A one-off swarm passing through is normal, but flying ants appearing indoors in the same place each year point to a nest that is worth treating.
For a passing swarm, vacuuming them up is enough. If they keep coming back, the answer is to deal with the nest rather than the individual ants. Off-the-shelf sprays rarely reach the colony, so a professional treatment that targets the nest with the right bait or surface treatment gives the lasting result.