Sussex could be invaded by thousands of flying ants

A swarm of flying ants a mile long was caught on a weather radar on the south coast last Friday close to Brighton – and more could be seen in the coming days. The swarms appear on radars looking similar to rainfall, but the Met Office can check its weather gauges to confirm if it is rain or flying ants.

Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: “It’s generally the southern parts of the UK where we tend to notice it most. They can be seen several miles across. They are an interesting phenomenon and it’s always this time of year and usually over about a week or so.”

Flying ants are spotted when males and new queens leave the nest to mate, with many ant colonies doing so on the same day. It’s an annual occurrence known as Flying Ant Day. Flying Ant Day typically occurs after a prolonged heatwave when winged ants escape the heat of their nests to take to the skies. Ants prefer humid weather and use the time after a heatwave or storm to look out for a new home.

The ants are not dangerous but can be very irritating.

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