When do flying ants come out?
The mating season for the black ant is during July and August. At this time, fertile male and female ants emerge from the nest and take to the air as ‘flying ants’. During these flights mating takes place. Shortly after mating the males die, and the females shed their wings and dig a cell in the ground where they spend the winter. The queen emerges in Spring to lay her eggs, which hatch in 3 to 4 weeks and emerge as worker ants some 3 to 4 weeks later. At this stage the worker ants take over responsibility for feeding and building up the colony and will travel considerable distances in the search for food. Eventually the point is reached where the mature male and female ants are ready to leave the nest and take to the air once again for the mating ritual.
