Flying ants 'invade' UK on hottest day as 'mass outpourings' of critters blight Brits
HUGE clouds of flying ants took over British skies as the country is set to record the hottest day of the year so far.
The “mass outpouring” of the bugs caused chaos yesterday, with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds warning people to be careful.
Brits have also been warned that swarms of the winged insects will be taking over the country for the next few days.
The flying ants came as temperatures soared to 32C today as the scorching heatwave continues up and down the country.
The University of Leeds has said that Brits should prepare themselves for more clouds of the winged bugs during the hot weather.
A spokesman told the Mirror: "As the days become warm and humid, and there is little to no wind, ants (will) emerge from their underground nests and take to the air for their nuptial flight.
“They aggregate into groups large enough to be seen on weather radar systems.
"Towards the end of the first week of July there were signs of flying ant activity over London.
PHENOMENA
"It is expected it will be seen over the south coast over the next couple of days before the phenomena is seen further north later in the month.
"Flying ant swarms were caught by the Met Office radar, as revealed in its tweet."
One worried Brit posted on twitter to share how the flying pests had invaded her home as she was trying to enjoy an evening drink.
She tweeted: "This evening as I am just sitting down to enjoy a G&T, I noticed more #FlyingAnts AntAntinvasion. Today they came out of the sky cable hole (it is sealed outside) .
"We are normally away now. Glad I was here to deal with it. Pic 1 is today, Pic 2 was yesterday."
The Met Office radar picked up on the insects flying over London last week during the Wimbledon finals and the Euro 2020.
Rentokil pest control says Flying Ant Day, which usually spans over several days, is the period of time where baby ants emerge from their nests to mate.
PESKY MINIBEASTS
With temperatures on the rise, experts believe more people will see the insects around the country.
Tips to keep the pesky minibeasts away from homes is to clean up litter, keep things sealed and watch for ant nests.
Environmental science expert Aidan O'Hanlon says people should simply leave the pests alone and stay indoors during the peak of flying ants.
Other handy tips include cleaning up litter, closing food containers and keeping an eye out for ant nests.
He said: "They can seem annoying but ants are ecologically essential.
"They provide aeration in soil through their nesting behaviour, and serving as a bonanza food source for birds, spiders, wasps and other insects in the summer when the ants swarm in huge numbers."
The invasion comes as sun-starved Brits are set to sizzle in 32C temperatures today as the scorching heatwave continues.
It comes after crowds flocked to beaches from 7am on Saturday as a blowtorch straight from the Azores hit UK shores making it the hottest day of the year so far.
London and the South East will see temperatures of around 31C today.
And, for a change, the fabulous weather is being shared across the country.
The Midlands and Yorkshire are among the hottest places today – before the warmth moves south.
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