UK households urged to clean all windows before insect swarms arrive

Households are being urged to clean their windows in order to prepare for an invasion of winged insects in parts of the UK this week. Flying Ant Day is actually a bit of a misnomer, as it's really a collection of different days in which flying insects swarm in different parts of of the country.

The Royal Society of Biology actually says Flying Ant Day should be renamed Flying Ant Season, thanks to its fractured nature, with many different days seeing explosions of ants in different places, depending on local weather conditions. Though much of the country has already seen their own local flying ant day, with the hot weather this week, many other parts of the UK will be seeing a late burst of flying ant swarming activity this week - and can use window cleaner to prepare.

As reported by The Independent: "In Britain and Ireland, flying ant days typically occur in July or August, often in warmer urban areas first, when the weather is hot and humid and when winds are low.

"The RSB, incidentally, argues that we should think of flying ant seasons, rather than isolated days, as ants may well take to the air on multiple occasions over the course of a British summer, depending on the atmospheric conditions, the species of ant in question and the nature of their habitat among other variables."

According to Healthline, ants and flying ants can be deterred from getting into your house around open windows, or cracks in windowframes. using window cleaner or glass cleaner.

This is because ants used a scented pheromone in order to direct other ants to follow, a bit like a trail of scented breadcrumbs.

They said: "Ants leave a scented pheromone trail behind when they walk. This acts as a map of food sources. Using glass cleaner may help remove the scent and deter the ants from reentering your home.

"Mix glass cleaning spray with liquid detergent like dish soap into a clean spray bottle.

"Spray the mixture on areas where ants seem to enter from or congregate around.

"After spraying, wipe down the area leaving a light residue. Repeat the above steps as often as needed."

According to the Royal Society of Biology, flying ants can be seen on as many as 96% of days between June and September.

If you want to go a step further, you can use pungent essential oils to try to repel flying ants.

Good Housekeeping says: "Flying ants respond strongly to scentbased disruption. So natural ingredients such as essential oils can be an excellent repellent. Mix water, a splash of dish soap and 5-10 drops of peppermint, rosemary or citronella essential oil. Spray around windows, doors, lights and damp areas to deter them."