Ant HabitatsUK Ant Nuptial Flight Calendar
When Britain's ants take to the air — a month-by-month guide to nuptial flights, the weather that triggers them, and how to be ready to catch a queen.
A nuptial flight is the one day a year an ant colony reaches for the sky. Winged males and new queens (alates) pour out of established nests, mate on the wing or on nearby high points, and the newly mated queens drop to the ground, shed their wings, and go looking for somewhere to found a colony of their own. For a keeper, this is the moment: those wingless queens on the pavement are free, already-mated founders of next year’s colony.
What triggers a flight
Ants are remarkably consistent about conditions. Most flights happen when the weather is:
- Warm — often a genuinely muggy day.
- Humid — frequently a day or two after rain that has followed a warm dry spell.
- Still — little wind, so the delicate alates can fly and mate.
Because whole populations respond to the same cues, many colonies of a species fly in synchrony — the origin of the famous “flying ant day,” which is really a flying ant fortnight that varies year to year.
Month-by-month (approximate, UK)
Timings shift with latitude, altitude, and the weather in any given year — treat this as a guide, not a timetable.
| Period | Species commonly on the wing |
|---|---|
| April–May | The first Formica (e.g. Formica fusca) begin in warm years |
| May–June | Formica species (fusca, cunicularia); some Myrmica start |
| June–July | Lasius fuliginosus, Lasius brunneus; early Lasius niger in hot years |
| Mid-July–early Aug | Peak season — Lasius niger and Lasius flavus main flights |
| Aug–Sept | Myrmica species (rubra, ruginodis, scabrinodis); late Lasius flavus |
| Sept–Oct | Stragglers and late Myrmica |
How to be ready
If you want to catch your own queen, prepare before the season:
- Keep a few test tube setups and a small collecting pot to hand from June onwards.
- Watch the forecast for the first warm, muggy, post-rain afternoon in July.
- After a flight, check pavements, patios, walls, and light-coloured surfaces for wingless queens walking alone.
Once you have a queen, our guide to catching and housing a queen covers identification and setup, and the queen care guide walks through the founding weeks. Not sure which species to keep? Start with the best beginner species.
Legal note: Keep only UK-native or naturalised species, avoid protected species such as wood ants, and never release a colony — captive ants must stay contained for life.
Common questions
- When is 'flying ant day' in the UK?
- There is no single date. The main Lasius niger flights usually fall between mid-July and early August, on warm, humid, still afternoons — but the exact timing shifts with the weather each year and varies by region, so expect a window of a few weeks rather than one day.
- What weather triggers a nuptial flight?
- Warm, humid, still conditions — often a muggy afternoon or evening, frequently a day or two after rain that follows a warm spell. Many colonies of the same species fly together when conditions line up, which is why flights seem to happen all at once.
- How do I know a queen is already mated?
- Queens mate during the flight and then shed their wings. A wingless (dealate) queen walking on the ground after a flight is very likely mated. Final confirmation only comes when she lays eggs that develop into workers.
- Can I keep any queen I find?
- Only species native to or naturalised in the UK, and never release ants afterwards. Identify the queen before keeping her, avoid legally protected species such as wood ants, and keep any colony contained for life.
Last updated 5 July 2026