As a result of the early and warm start to the summer, Rentokil is advising that the annual nuptial flight of ants is imminent. An ant invasion is likely to be seen over the coming days and weeks as flying ants make their annual return.
The close, humid, weather conditions currently being experienced provide the perfect ambiance for garden ants to start their ‘nuptial flight’, or mating on the wing. The ants appear suddenly as they leave the colony together in one coordinated flight, which is also synchronised with the flight of ants from neighbouring colonies.
The pests, known as black garden ants, usually begin foraging as early as January but become obvious and a real nuisance during their nuptial flight. The nuptial flight season generally peaks in July. After mating, the female ants discard their wings and burrow into a tunnel to lay their eggs and hibernate for the winter. Unfortunately for the males, they die after the deed is done.
Richard Faulkner, advanced technical field consultant at Rentokil, has the following tips for preventing ant infestations: “The majority of black garden ants come in to your home to forage for food, in particular sweet and sticky substances," he says. "To reduce the likelihood of an ant invasion in your home, you should take the following precautions."
• Clear away food and liquid spillages immediately.
• Clean food debris from the floor under kitchen appliances.
• Make sure all rubbish bins have tightly sealed lids.
• Clear away your pet’s food after eating.
• Seal access points such as cracks and crevices in door and window frames.
• Always cover food, you don’t know where the ant has been before it crawls across your food.
Three ant myths busted
Boiling water gets rid of ant colonies: This only provides a temporary solution as the main nest is usually too deep for such a remedy to work effectively.
Vinegar kills ants: Vinegar doesn’t kill ants. However it can remove the trace of ants to confuse ants about where to go to find the rest of their colony.
Feeding ants grains will cause them to explode: Ants don’t eat solid food, so while they may carry grains of rice or wheat back to their colony, ants will not explode as a result of eating them.
Wasps
This summer is also set to be a bumper year also for wasp populations. Statistics show a dramatic 55 per cent increase in the number of callouts relating to wasp infestations this year, in comparison to the same period in 2015.
The increase in the wasp population can be linked to external environmental factors such as the weather — mild weather, especially over winter months, means a higher survival rate of queens, which in turn means more colonies. Favourable weather conditions also mean that insect prey species and vegetative food sources will also be in abundance. The more resources that are available, the larger the colony growth and the more colonies that can be sustained.
If you are experiencing high numbers of wasps in your home or garden there is likely to be a nest on your property, in your garden, or very close by. A mature nest in summer can contain thousands of wasps.
It is important to treat a wasp nest early to reduce the threat of a wasp sting, which can be very painful and even cause an allergic reaction. However Rentokil strongly advises against trying to remove a wasp nest yourself to avoid the risk of painful stings.
