Survey led by University of Gloucestershire discovers there is no single day for swarming nuisance <\/p>\n
By Eddie Wrenn <\/p>\n
PUBLISHED: 04:36 EST, 20 August 2012 | UPDATED: 05:22 EST, 20 August 2012 <\/p>\n
One of the first major studies of 'Flying Ant Day' has revealed that the nuisance outbreaks can occur anytime in the space of a month. <\/p>\n
The Society of Biology asked members of the public to cover their mouths and keep a record each time they saw the pesky insects take to the air in their annual battle to find a mate. <\/p>\n
Adam Hart, an ecologist and insect expert at the University of Gloucestershire, led the call to arms, and discovered that the outbreaks could come anytime over the period of a month. <\/p>\n
It was previously assumed the ants synchronised their swarms to increase their reproductive chances, but instead of the 'Friday night' approach, is appears there is a more complex pattern at play. <\/p>\n
Swarming: The most common flying ants seen at the moment is the black garden ant, Lasius niger <\/p>\n
More than 4,000 people responded to the survey across June and July, and their sightings reveal that even within a small town can have outbreaks on different days. <\/p>\n
Hart told The Scientist: 'Its really too early to tell but even a casual glance at the data so far shows that flying ant emergence is a spatially and temporally complex event. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Continue reading here: Survey led by University of Gloucestershire discovers there is no single day for swarming nuisance By Eddie Wrenn PUBLISHED: 04:36 EST, 20 August 2012 | UPDATED: 05:22 EST, 20 August 2012 One of the first major studies of 'Flying Ant Day' has revealed that the nuisance outbreaks can occur anytime in the space of a month. The Society of Biology asked members of the public to cover their mouths and keep a record each time they saw the pesky insects take to the air in their annual battle to find a mate. Continue reading
\nForget Flying Ant Day ... it's actually a month! 4,000 people join 'citizen survey' to pin-point outbreaks across the UK<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"