When do the ants fly?
by matt @ 9:53 pm. Blogged under Thinking
As a child I was a bit obsessed with ants, I used to love going into my dad’s greenhouse and lifting the paving slabs to look at the intricate nests with all the little white eggs being carried around by the workers. However, what I loved more was trashing the nest with a shovel, my feet and hot water (I must have had serious issues - that’s bullying for you!). A week later the nest would all be back as good as new requiring another demolition. I dare say that I’ve killed a good few thousand ants and will probably end up as one in a next life, or in hell with ants anyway I digress…
Having been so fascinated with the destruction of ants I know very well that on average they will be flying around July 20th - the reason? It’s usually a very hot week so plan your wedding around it (but not on an ants nest). However, it seems that the heat today has brought forth the ants three days early, one just came in through the train window - needless to say its no longer alive!
With the aid of the soldier ants, the males and females take to the air to breed, usually launched from blades of grass in a mass air assault akin to the air defence of Britain against the Luftwaffe in 1942. Once airborne they mate, the males die (as seems common in the insect world) and the female lands, loses her wings and finds somewhere nice where she can be ‘queeny’ and repeat the whole process next July. I gather from a bee-keeping friend (yes I have one…) that these queens are worth a bit online, ant farm makers love to get their hands on them so there’s money to be made if you have a few matchboxes laying around this week.
The second wave of flying ants should follow next week, that’s when the smaller flying ants go up as back-ups to the original wave, this time less like the Battle of Britain and more like the outnumbered X-Wings that go up against the Empire in Return of the Jedi.
In Scotland the ants must fly later if this 2004 article is anything to go by:
People are being urged not to panic after millions of flying ants appeared in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
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July 17th, 2006 at 10:21 pm
July the 20th you say… when are we booking the church?
July 18th, 2006 at 4:36 pm
We don’t have flying ants in the U.S. Thank God!
July 18th, 2006 at 9:59 pm
Jeez, I’ve had ‘em painting the windscreen red driving home…it’s a total swarm when they decide to go…
August 24th, 2006 at 4:28 pm
we have them in one room every year, never have discovered the exact location
……any way to prevent next year’s batch?
August 26th, 2006 at 4:09 pm
Sounds to me like you need to call in some professionals if they’re in your house!