flying Ants - any way to avoid - reduce?

Wireless


Joined: 10/08/2008
Posts: 157

Message Posted:
02/09/2011 23:08

came home tonight to a flying ants all around the front door and outside lights? - any way to avoid or reduce?

Jovial_John


Joined: 31/01/2009
Posts: 1024

Message Posted:
03/09/2011 08:54

Ants normally only fly on a single day each year - although different species have different days and some species do it on several days each year. This is their mating ritual. All the nests in a locality co-ordinate their release and the area is awash with the things. The birds have a field day but, with the release of so many, a number are bound to survive. The males die almost immediately after mating whereas the queens shed their wings and search for a site to start a new nest - although not many succeed. Once a female is pregnant she remains pregnant all her life and will continually lay eggs. Few of the ants are still flying the next day.



Not a lot of people know that!

roblyn


Joined: 21/11/2008
Posts: 144

Message Posted:
03/09/2011 12:53

Thankyou Jovial John very informative.It has always fasinated me.The day of the flying ants.

When I lived in Devon the gulls would be frantic with excitement gobbling as many as they could.

Wireless. Why would you want to avoid or reduce.Such an infrequent happening and they do no harm.

Nature is a wonderous thing.