It happens every year, but we don't think we'll ever get used to the sudden swarms of flying ants taking over our outdoor spaces. This year, they're earlier than usual, so you'll want to start preparing now.
Whether or not you've had to learn how to get rid of flying ants before, there's a pretty inevitable pest that comes into gardens and homes during mid to late summer. Of course, they're a little harder to eradicate than normal ants due to their aerial capabilities, which means they can get into your home much more easily.
To add insult to injury, experts have recently revealed that the dreaded flying ant season is starting earlier this year, so now is the time to take action and prepare your home to keep the pesky pests away.
Flying ant season is early and here's why
There's no hiding from insects during the summer months. Whether you welcome them with plants for pollinators or ward them off with citronella, chances are they'll be visiting your garden.
However, there are some bugs you'd really rather not welcome in or around your home, and one of these is flying ants. You might have been lucky to have missed them last year; however, thanks to high temperatures and consecutive heatwaves, they're back early and with a vengeance.
"Our data from the last 24 years shows 90% of nuptial flights happened in July, but as experts in myrmecology (the study of ants) now predict, the peak for 2026 will hit between July 20 and 25," explain ant experts Best Ants UK.
If you were busy with your gardening jobs in June, you may have noticed the first wave of flying ants. "The first heatwave hit in the last week of May, priming colonies early; this second spike is what finally pushes the queens into the air," says Best Ants UK. "We expect between 11% and 17% of the UK's Lasius niger (black garden ant) queens to take to the skies in this early surge, well ahead of the main swarm."
No, the days you might want to avoid sorting your garden out are between 20 and 25 July, when the primary swarm are expected to arrive. They do, however, warn that a smaller follow-up swarm will be expected around 2 August.
"It is an early advance flight triggered by back-to-back heat waves — the late-May spike followed by this second, more intense surge. The remaining 83–89% of queens will hold back for the main peak between 20 and 25 July, with a smaller second swarm expected around 2 August," echoes Best Ants UK.
So what can you do to keep the swarms away? Along with the solutions we've provided above, we'd suggest prepping the home like you would when getting rid of flies.
However, we'd also recommend taking more precautions with keeping your outdoor spaces clean, bins emptied and sealed, plus ensuring you keep windows shut, particularly during the predicted swarm days.
Don't be too worried about the flying ant swarms to keep completing your July gardening jobs. Luckily, the season doesn't last long, and you'll be back to only seeing normal ants soon enough.
