BRITS have been warned after shocking images revealed flying ants swarming around homes – here’s the £1 hack to get rid of them.
People across the UK reported swarms of flying ants taking over their homes and gardens this week.
The event, dubbed “flying ant day” sees millions of bugs take to the sky at once.
A gardening expert has revealed a £1 hack that will keep these annoying flying insects from bothering you this summer.
Chris Bonnett, founder of GardeningExpress said there’s no specific date for flying ant day but they often come out to find new homes, with many colonies doing so on the same day.
Spices such as cayenne pepper and cinnamon pepper can deter ants if dusted around your plants.
Mint and garlic also work well as “they hate the smell”.
Sainsbury’s is currently advertising a 42g jar of cayenne pepper for just £1.10, which works out at 26p for 10g.
The expert added a spray bottle filled with water and white vinegar can also banish the pesky bugs.
If that isn’t enough, he suggests using white vinegar alone, the same can also be done with washing up liquid and water.
These flying ants can cause a lot of damage to houses, so making sure they don’t creep in is vital.
Carpenter ants are known to bury their nests inside timber causing damage to wooden structures.
Any cracks in walls or roofs are the perfect way for these bugs to access your home.
Rentokil, a pest control company, recommends sealing any cracks or crevices and using a fly screen so you can keep windows open without inviting these flying pests.
A window Flyscreen can be bought for as little as £1 on Dunelm.
There will be more to come
Adam Hart
Hundreds of Brits took to social media to share their experiences battling against the swarm.
Some users joked that the natural event “should be a bank holiday” and others claimed seagulls had been making the most of “flying ant season”.
On X, formerly Twitter, Christina Martin said: “Seagulls are drunk on flying ants and going so ape people have been complaining to us at the council all day.
“As though we can reason with them.”
“Flying Ant Day should be a bank holiday,” Toby Earl added.
Briar Farm posted: “The flying ants are starting to do their thing.”
And Graham Barnfield joked: “Ooh no.
“It’s flying ant day already.
“Well, I just hate the way it’s gotten soooo commercial recently.
“Honestly, they’ve had pupae in the shops since March etc etc.”
Adam Hart, an Entomologist from the University of Gloucester, revealed that ants actually get their wings over time – so there will be more to come.
He added: “What our study showed was that any time between about the middle of July and the end of August could be a flying ant day.
“Sometimes you can have ants flying in your garden weeks after each other.”
Unlike the worker ants you see on the pavement, the flying ants’ main role is to reproduce.
They are made up of males and future queens, who will mate with each other while airborne.
After, the queens will find a spot and dig into the ground where they hope to start a new colony of ants.
It comes after Japanese honey bees were captured using a new technique called “wing-slapping” to protect their hives from intruding ants.
And a pest control expert has revealed the best way to deal with flies and mosquitoes invading your home this summer.
Chris Bonnett, founder of GardeningExpress, revealed that using a £1 hack will keep these flying pests at bay.
Spices such as cayenne pepper and cinnamon pepper can deter ants if dusted around your plants.
Mint and garlic also work well as “they hate the smell”.
Sainsbury’s is currently advertising a 42g jar of cayenne pepper for just £1.10, which works out at 26p for 10g.
The expert added a spray bottle filled with water and white vinegar can also banish the pesky bugs.
Stuart Halliday, 42, owner of Kill and Cure Pest Control said ant powder was the best way to get rid of the critters.
He said: “They make their nests under cement slabs, rock and paver stones. Cone-shaped piles of dirt in cracks and joints mark hive entrances.”
“If you see this happening, what you need to do immediately is get some ant powder in that hole.
“You need to get it done before they dispatch the new queens. If you leave it, every queen is going to be another nest next year.
“When you see them coming up and you see this little pile of sand – get ant powder in that hole straight away and you’ll be saving yourself a lot of trouble.
“You want to squirt it in there and keep putting it in until they stop.”
Keeping your windows and doors shut is the most effective way to prevent flying ants from swarming into your house.
However, if you prefer to keep them open – consider buying a flyscreen to protect yourself from the annoying pests.
They can be bought for just £1 on Dunelm.
Flying ants can cause a lot of damage to houses, so making sure they don’t creep in is vital.
Carpenter ants are known to bury their nests inside timber causing damage to wooden structures.
Any cracks in walls or roofs are the perfect way for these bugs to access your home.
Rentokil, a pest control company, recommends sealing any cracks or crevices.
