"It's a good time to be a bird or bat."
If you noticed an uptick in the number of winged insects in Metro Vancouver this week, you are not alone.
Several people took to social media on Monday (July 11) to proclaim the unofficial arrival of "flying ant day." A day when the region's resident fowl and small animals can fill their bellies with winged insects galore.
Flying ant season - otherwise known as the great 'ant-pocalypse,' or, more commonly, 'flying ant day' - is the time of year when swarms of flying ants procreate. Of course, this doesn't take place all on one day, but it often feels as if the chaos manifests out of thin air; one day there isn't an ant insight and the next they are virtually everywhere.
The ants aren't always spotted performing chaotic aerial acrobatics, however. One local Reddit user, for example, shared an image of a bunch of them crawling around in a petite pack.
In previous years, the unofficial "flying ant day" typically falls within the first week of July. Another Reddit user comments: "They are a week behind this year. I guess it's from the cool weather."
Mosquito season also got off to a slow start this year thanks to a cooler, wetter spring. That said, a hot spell at the end of June provided the ideal conditions for the tiny creatures to thrive.
- Find out more about this year's mosquito season forecast.
Here is a video from a previous year of the winged creatures congregating in a crack in the sidewalk.
Metro Vancouver flying ant day
According to Vancouver Pest Control Ltd., the swarms continue through the summer into August, which means that "flying ant season" lasts far longer than some people imagine. With this in mind, they usually don't cause any harm to people - they're just busy 'getting busy.' However, they can create problems once inside the home.
So, if you find wings in your home, contact a pest control company that will determine if you have a colony (or colonies) in your space.
