Aaron Ashbrook, an urban entomologist at LSU, talks about how the weather is affecting this year’s insect season.
UK authorities are warning residents of an unusual weather event, but it’s not what you might expect.
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Biblical swarms of flying ants have descended on parts of the UK, with weather radars sometimes mistaking them for rain.
“Our radar is picking up more than just rain this morning – it’s actually insects,” the Met Office said in an earlier social media post. “Although there are a few showers, many of these echoes are actually insects.”
Flying ants emerge from a crack in a garden wall in Leigh-on-Sea, England.
(John Keeble/Getty Images/Getty Images)
According to the Natural History Museum in London, these unusual insects are known as winged ants, giant winged ants that inhabit various regions in large numbers. Because they are similar in size to raindrops, they can cause false weather radar readings.
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Officials say this annual phenomenon occurs every summer, usually in July and August, when hot and humid weather creates ideal conditions for the insects.
Winged ants tend to appear earlier in urban areas than in rural areas because cities retain more heat, known as the urban heat island effect.
Biblical swarms of flying ants have hit parts of the UK, with weather radars sometimes mistaking them for rain.
(Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)
However, experts say swarms of flying ants have arrived earlier than usual this year due to record heat in the UK over the past few weeks.
A study from the Royal Society of Biology found that ants only fly on warm days, avoiding cold and wind.
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The timing could be unfortunate for tennis players competing at Wimbledon. In previous years, players have complained about flying ants disrupting matches.
Flying ants cause Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark to shake her hair as she attempts to serve against Ekaterina Makarova of Russia during a second-round women’s singles match on day three of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships.
(Clive Brunskill/Getty Images/Getty Images)
In 2018, Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki complained that flying ants attacked her mid-match.
The Natural History Museum London says the insects seen in the sky are mature queens and male black garden ants.
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They are part of the so-called honeymoon flight. During this time they mate, forming new colonies.
South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen tees off on the 12th hole, surrounded by flying ants during the second round of the Africa Open at the GC Stadium in East London.
(Warren Little/Getty Images/Getty Images)
After mating, the queens search for a suitable site to build a nest, and the males die soon after.
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The good news is that these insects are harmless to humans, they are just looking for a mate.
So, while these pesky creatures can be an unwanted nuisance during the summer months, experts say there’s no reason for people to worry.