Talkback: Flying Ants Day - Page 2 - Talkback

Gardeners' World Web User

11/07/2011 at 18:47

Lots of flying ants in Surrey this evening, and the sky is turning grey. The time has come, fly my children!

Gardeners' World Web User

11/07/2011 at 19:32

Lots of flying ants today in Little Paxton Cambs this afternoon!

Gardeners' World Web User

11/07/2011 at 19:33

Flying ants in many parts of Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire this afternoon, followed by huge flocks of gulls.

Gardeners' World Web User

11/07/2011 at 22:09

Flying ants in Totnes, Devon, early evening today

Gardeners' World Web User

12/07/2011 at 12:24

We had the swarming yesterday. I know they are beneficial to birds, but I just can't stand having ants come into my house, so I'm afraid i was guilty of the boiling water trick yesterday.

Gardeners' World Web User

12/07/2011 at 12:48

OMG ! pouch gall on elm tree (Schizoneura languinosa) have found some of these hideous growths in my golden elm tree - what can I do about it - they are full of aphids...

Gardeners' World Web User

12/07/2011 at 14:59

Daisy Rose, it sounds as if you have solitary bees or wasps living in your bird-bath support. Each is a lone female working alone to stock a nest with either pollen/nectar cake (bees) or dead flies (wasps). They are perfectly harmless, and do not attack inquisitive observers; many are even too small to sting through human skin, even if picked up between finger and thumb. And although they may destroy the log, it will take 25-30 years; in the mean time you are providing helpful habitat for them. This information sheet shows something of the larger species http://www.bwars.com/Files%204%20downloading/Info_sheets/13_Bee%20Hotels_1col_infosheet.pdf but yours will be the even smaller ones.

Gardeners' World Web User

14/07/2011 at 17:05

I saw wasps buzzing flying ants as they swarmed and flew. The wasps seemed to be attacking the ants. It was all very dramatic - reminded me of planes in WWII trying to take off before they were destroyed by the enemy flying in from above. Does anyone have an explanation?

Gardeners' World Web User

15/07/2011 at 08:10

What a splendid analogy, Paulkaz. The wasps must have felt threatened in some way. Perhaps it happens all the time in the wild but we do not notice it so much in our over - tidy gardens.

Gardeners' World Web User

17/07/2011 at 09:48

Kate I don't know how to do photos yet!! Very new to this technology. My insects are still with me. Have blogged Richard. Enjoyed reading about the butterlies, upset about the killing of the caterpillar!!!!

Gardeners' World Web User

17/07/2011 at 10:35

Kate and Richard My insects are leaf cutter bees. Found out on the internet. They are enjoying the leaves of my beans and cranebill, but I DONT CARE!

Gardeners' World Web User

17/07/2011 at 16:36

Monday july 11th...flying ants day in southampton.They were very active, divebombimg anyone who ventured out!Thank god its only once a year! Still, now i know its for a reason it makes it a little more bearable! I hope the birds enjoyed their feast!

Gardeners' World Web User

18/07/2011 at 16:22

Flying ants DAY??!! We have them on a semi-permanent basis, each year. However, there have been fewer than normal recently; thank goodness! I am not a fan ....

Gardeners' World Web User

21/07/2011 at 10:17

Lovely to hear everyone's flying ant stories. I managed to miss them - again. One evening there seemed to be a few on the ground, so I assumed the next day there would be loads of them. But it was cold and miserable the next day, and has been ever since. Did rain stop play or did I just miss the party? Lazygardener - leafcutters are my favourite solitary bee. You're very lucky to have them, I've been trying - and failing - to encourage them in my garden for two years. Kate

Gardeners' World Web User

25/07/2011 at 16:57

I've just been out in the garden, and came across this mass of flying ants in the garden. There were hundreds on the floor, with wings, and many flying too. There were also little ones walking round, hundreds of them too. I firstly though that there were loads spiders being preyed on by flies, but on observing slowly I realised that they were kind of related and some crazy phenomenon was going on. Don't know if I've seen anything rare or special, but they cleared off within ten minutes of me and next door starting to watch them. Is this a one off, or do I have a nest?

Gardeners' World Web User

25/07/2011 at 17:39

We had hundreds of flying ants emerge from a long established ants nest site yesterday afternoon (I am in Nottingham). And I regret to say I resorted to ant powder & then stamping on them. I feel guilty now,knowing many birds will feed on the flying ants. So if we get any more (& we have at least 5 other sites with ants nests in them) I will leave them alone.

Gardeners' World Web User

26/07/2011 at 06:20

We witnessed flying ant day in our garden yesterday.What a wonderful sight.They were climbing to the top of a low wooden border fence and launching themselves off by the thousands.All had gone within the hour and our garden returned to normal.

Gardeners' World Web User

26/07/2011 at 17:41

flying ant just started to appear in my front garden. North Birmingham

Gardeners' World Web User

27/07/2011 at 19:46

we sat in the garden yesterday and the flying ants were everywhere, we watched some of them taking off their wings, which is something I have never seen before, which is why I checked here and found this site and now know that the females take off their wings, it was cool watching it happen. loads of birds were in the sky feeding off them. Not sure what they all were, but hopefully some were swifts. thanks for the info.

Gardeners' World Web User

28/07/2011 at 11:06

I have a large planter next to my back door with a passionflower supported by canes. I went out yesterday and there were hundreds of flying ants crawling out of the top of the canes and flying off, and loads of wingless ones looking very busy in the soil. It freaked me out a bit, I knew the ants lived in there but have never seen the flying exodus before.