When the winged males (drones) and virgin queens (princesses) emerge from the nest, they scatter to maximise the chance of mating between different colonies and reduce inbreeding. An ant colony can ...

"queen" ant that has mated with a male from a different colony. The flying ants we see in the summer are these potential new female queens and male ants embarking on a mating flight. Once they ...

During flying ant day, male and female winged ants, known as "alates," leave their nests and take to the air in order to mate. The ants can be seen swarming in the sky, often in large numbers.

Huge swarms of flying ants in the south of England have ... That movement is caused by potential new female queens and male ants embarking on a mating flight. Mr King said it was the biggest ...

Termites and carpenter ants are the most concerning, as an infestation left untreated can cause major structural home damage.