Flying Ants Day hits UK at same time as record-breaking heatwave

dailystar.co.uk:

heatwave now have to battle flying ants as armies take to the skies for 'Flying Ant Day.'With the country in the grips of what could be one of the hottest summers on record, the ants have emerged compounding the misery for some.In an effort to start their own colonies, swarms of the winged critters, most specifically queen ants, have taken flight to mate.READ MORE: Tourists die in horror helicopter crash before corpses 'dragged away and eaten by bears'There is no evidence to suggest that ants have small mobile phones, or access to the internet, but that doesn't seem to prevent their co-ordinated regional efforts at all emerging on the same day.The annual swarming event usually occurs in July or August and coincides with a period of hot and humid weather.

Winged ants appear at different times around the country and local weather conditions affecting the coordination of swarming activity.

With the Met Office's red weather warning for heat already issued, the flying ants are here to give us even less reasons to leave the house.To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.Ants tend to fly earlier in urban areas than rural areas, probably because temperatures are generally warmer in urban environments, known as the urban heat island effect.

Queen ants look like worker ants that can bee seen all year round, but they are bigger (up to 15mm) and have wings.In an effort to start their own colony, they then mate with male ants and lay a bunch of eggs that burrow into the ground, so the cycle can continue when it gets nice again next year. READ NEXT: Monkey throws four-month-old baby to its death off roof in front of horrified parentsPet snakes 'more likely to escape' during.