If you’ve spotted winged ants gathering in your garden, or suddenly appearing around windows and doors, you’re not alone. Every summer, households across the UK brace themselves for what’s commonly known as Flying Ant Day — but pest experts say the name is misleading.
'Flying Ant Day, in terms of a one-off event, does not really exist,' says Paul Blackhurst, technical academy head at Rentokil Pest Control. 'While the name suggests a single nationwide event, what people are actually likely to see is, in fact, a broader natural cycle experienced locally.
'So it is more accurate to think of it as flying ant season, with local flying ant days witnessed, rather than one single national day.'
So what actually causes flying ant swarms, why do they seem to appear all at once, and how can you stop them from getting into your home? Here’s what you need to know.
What is Flying Ant Day?
Flying ants are reproductive ants that emerge from established colonies during warm weather to mate and establish new nests. These mass swarms can happen over several days, weeks and even months depending on local conditions.
'The timing is heavily influenced by environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and wind,' says Paul. 'Periods of alternating wet and warm weather, like those we've experienced recently, create particularly favourable conditions, helping to produce larger and more frequent swarms.'
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After mating, the smaller males quickly die, while fertilised queens shed their wings and burrow into the ground to start new colonies. In the UK, more than 60 species of ant carry out these nuptial flights at different times between late spring and early autumn, meaning swarms can appear throughout the season, rather than on a single day.
Remove food traces
One of the simplest ways to discourage ants from entering your home is to eliminate potential food sources – and, with it being the heart of food in the home, the kitchen is a key area to tackle.
'Flying ants often enter homes in search of food during warmer months, particularly sugary or greasy residues,' says Emily Green, home maintenance expert at Howarth Timber.
For this reason, removing crumbs and cleaning surfaces thoroughly is essential, as even small traces of food can attract trails. We recommend using a mixture of part water and part vinegar.
Disrupt scent trails
Natural barriers such as vinegar, lemon juice, or cinnamon can be applied along skirting boards, door thresholds and entry points to disrupt scent trails.
'Cinnamon deters ants because the strong smell makes it harder for them to find food and communicate with each other,' explains Graeme Shelley, managing director at Factory Direct Flooring. 'We've seen TikTok videos that suggest mopping your floor with a mix of cinnamon and water, but I wouldn't recommend this if you want to keep your floors in good shape.'
Instead, Graeme recommends placing cinnamon sticks or small amounts of cinnamon powder near entry points. For hard floors, the vinegar solution can also help repel ants while leaving surfaces clean.
Seal gaps
Preventing ants from entering in the first place is absolutely the most effective approach to ensuring they don’t infest your home.
'Flying ants don't enter homes randomly and they're not looking for food the way common ants are,' says Emily Demirdonder, home maintenance expert and co-founder of Proximity Plumbing. 'They follow moisture trails and exploit gaps in foundations, drainage penetrations and pipe entry points that already exist in the structure.'
She recommends inspecting the property for cracks and gaps around doors, windows, foundations, and utility pipes. 'Sealing pipe penetrations, drainage entry points and gaps around utility conduits with expanding foam or silicone is the most direct fix, as a gap left through a full summer gives a colony enough access to establish inside a wall cavity.'
It’s also a good idea to keep windows and doors closed during peak swarming periods where possible. Installing fly screens is an excellent way to improve ventilation while helping keep them outside.
