When will Flying Ant Day hit Sussex? Here's everything you need to know to get prepared

GardeningExpress.co.uk is urging households to prepare for an ‘invasion of winged ants’ in the middle of August.

Flying Ant Day typically occurs after a prolonged heatwave when winged ants escape the heat of their nests to take to the skies.

Chris Bonnett, founder of GardeningExpress said: “While we’ve been making the most of the sun, a storm has been brewing.”

Chris said ants prefer humid weather and use the time after a heatwave to look out for a new home.

He said: “Ants in the UK aren’t dangerous but they can be extremely irritating.

“We’ve put together some ways to get rid of ants in your garden before they’ve even become a problem.”

Here are the GardeningExpress.co.uk tips for getting rid of ants.

Tin cans

If you place tin cans on top of the ants’ soil mounds in the morning, they will move their eggs into the tins during the day.

In the afternoon you can slide a card under the tin and dispose of the next generation.

Ant powder

People can dust ant powder around doors, patios and other dry areas where pathways are spotted. The powders work on other crawling insects and wasps, but people are warned to be careful if they have young children around.

Boiling water

If you see ants in cracks in paving or nests in lawns you can pour boiling water onto the area. This gets rid of ants and any pupae the water touches.

Washing up liquid

A generous amount of washing-up liquid in a spray bottle filled with water can be used on ants.

Artificial sweetener

Artificial sweetener is deadly to insects so you can mix it with something like apple juice to make it palatable for ants, making a tasty but toxic paste.

Pour a bit near to nesting sites and the ants will carry it back to the colony.

Cayenne pepper and cinnamon

Sprinkling cayenne pepper and cinnamon around your plants and garden will help keep ants at bay because ants hate the smell of it, as well as mint and garlic.

Water and white vinegar

Fill a spray bottle with a mixture of water and white vinegar and get spraying.