10-07-2025
- Climate
- Irish Daily Mirror
'Shut your windows now' as flying ants swarm Irish homes in sudden surge
Households across Ireland are being advised to shut their windows as swarms of flying ants make a sudden appearance across the country.
Experts say we're now in the peak season of what's dubbed 'Flying Ant Day', although the event is rarely limited to just one day. Instead, it's an annual summer surge, usually in July or early August, when thousands - even millions - of ants take to the skies at the same time in a mass mating ritual known as the "nuptial flight".
The sudden explosion of flying ants has prompted pest control experts at Rentokil to issue a nationwide alert after a 17% spike in ant-related callouts in June 2024 compared to the same month the previous year.
Flying Ant Day isn't officially marked on calendars, but nature often picks a day - or several - during warm, humid weather like we're having now and following rainfall. That's when black garden ants, known as Lasius niger, sprout wings and emerge from their nests in unison to breed.
The nuptial flight involves male ants and young queens flying mid-air to mate. Afterward, the queens shed their wings and seek nesting spots, often in gardens, under patio slabs or even inside homes.
Rentokil Ireland explained: "This phenomenon occurs during summer when flying ants leave the nest to reproduce and start a new colony. Swarms of flying ants from multiple colonies conjoin to breed mid-air. It is thought that flying ants often come out in huge numbers as a survival tactic designed to overwhelm potential predators such as swifts and gulls.
"Such events can occur in different areas of the country at different times across the summer when the weather - temperature, humidity and wind conditions are favourable. After mating, the female ants fall to the ground, lose their wings, and look for a suitable location to start a new nest. Commonly known as black garden ants, they will often colonise locations under garden pots, in between and under patio slabs, and in planters."
Ants don't pose much danger, but they can be a major nuisance, especially when they find a way inside. Once a food source is discovered indoors, ants lay down a pheromone trail that attracts thousands more.
Rentokil says keeping doors and windows closed during swarm periods is one of the most effective ways to block the insects from entering your home. Fly screens, sealing up cracks and storing food in airtight containers can also help.
If you're already seeing flying ants in or around your home, don't panic. Rentokil have listed steps that can be taken to avoid the presence of these pest insects in homes and businesses:
