If you’ve encountered more than a few flying ants already this summer, you’re not alone. The UK is seeing a surge in our flying friends due to raised temperatures in the early summer months this year. In fact, Rentokil have reported 148% more call outs to ant related problems between March & April 2018.
There is a day dedicated to flying ants that usually takes place in July, and is commonly known as one or two days when the majority of flying ants leave the nest and a simple walk through the park can be disrupted by the surge of flying ants leaving the nest, but this year the flying ants are expected to be clogging up the skies much sooner.
FLYING ANT TOP FACTS
- During reproductivity ONLY the female survives.
- A typical flying ant nest has around 5000 workers and one queen.
- Queens can live for up to 10 years and spend almost all of their lives inside the nest, only leaving at the very beginning of their reign to mate.
AVOIDING INFESTATION
- You can use dishwashing soap to stop flying ants in their tracks. Make up a bottle of 2 parts dishwashing soap and 5 parts warm water in a spray bottle. Successfully spraying your flying pest will attach to their body and dehydrate them.
- Pouring boiling water into an ant hill with kill most, if not all, of its inhabitants and deter others from returning.
- Hoover your home regularly to avoid crumbs and food particles being left behind for ants to sniff out.
- Keep rubbish bags and bins tightly sealed to avoid infestation and an absolute haven for your flying ants.
Flying ants are one of many species of insect that are on rapid surges this summer thanks to the unseasonably warmer climates in the UK. If you need a pest control problem solved in these times of increased infestation, Advantage Pest Control can help.
