How long does flying ant day last, what is flying ant day and and when is it this year?

31 July 2020, 12:16

By Alice Dear

As people report seeing more and more flying ants in the air, could there be a second flying ant day?

Just when we thought flying ant day was done with, people across the UK have been spotting more and more colonies of them in the skies, in their pavements and in gardens.

While we were made to think there was just one flying ant day, it turns out there can sometimes be more.

From what flying ant day is, to when it was in 2020 and how long it lasts, here's everything you need to know:

What is flying ant day?

Flying ant day marks the day of the year when male and female ants grow wings and leave their nests.

They do this in order to travel to other colonies and mate, before landing and starting their own colony.

When is flying ant day 2020?

While flying ant day does happen every year, there is no specific date.

However, it is usually at some point in July due to the humid weather.

Around July 12, there were reports across the UK of huge amounts of flying ants in the air, leading some people to believe the dreaded day had come and gone.

However, this week, there have been more reports of sightings, leading people to think this year we've been treated to two days of flying ant day.

How long does flying ant day last?

As the name suggests, flying ant day usually lasts only 24 hours.

However, according to The Royal Society of Biology, there is often not just one flying ant day in a year.

They explain that their survey found that flying ants are spotted 96 per cent of days between June and September.

The RSB say that this could be because some colonies produce flying ants more than once in a season.

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