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 ... That movement is caused by potential new female queens and male ants embarking on a mating flight. Mr King said it was the biggest swarm ...

Flying ants are a bit of a surprise for many people. After all, the ants we are used to seeing under stones in our gardens don't have wings and cannot fly. These wingless ants are female workers ...