The flying ant ‘day’ myth: Four easy ways to protect your garden this summer
Every summer, it is exactly the same: you step outside into an annoying cloud of winged bugs. Commonly called ‘Flying Ant Day,’ this annual event causes plenty of panic and a flood of internet searches.
But the idea that it all happens in a single 24-hour window is actually a myth. The UK faces a flying ant season triggered by warm summer weather and humid air. For 2026, these big swarms are expected to peak between July 10th and July 25th.
While the bugs in the air are a temporary nuisance, the real work happens on the ground. Mark Dwelly, Head Gardener at Audley Stanbridge Earls shares four simple, practical tips to protect your plants, save your lawn, and use everyday kitchen staples to keep the invasion under control.
1) Raid the kitchen for white vinegar ‘border patrol’
Before the ants take flight, they build up in massive numbers just beneath the surface of your garden beds and patios. When used carefully, white vinegar can help keep your garden looking neat and under control and can be the ultimate quick fix. It’s a handy, low-cost option for tackling small weeds and cleaning up surfaces, and it can also deter ants and cats from your borders.
Mix a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water and spray it along patio edges and border lines. The sharp smell blocks the ants’ scent paths, discouraging them from nesting next to your plants. Just keep it away from your flowers, as vinegar kills green leaves, it’s a useful little helper rather than a full garden solution or plant food.
2) Check your plants for hidden greenfly
While the winged ants grab all the attention, the normal worker ants left behind can quietly cause trouble for your summer flowers. Ants love garden pests like greenfly and blackfly because these pests leave behind a sweet, sticky liquid. Ants will actually protect these pests from helpful insects like ladybirds just so they can keep feeding on the sweet leftovers.
If you notice a sudden spike of ants crawling all over a specific plant, it is a major warning sign. Check the stems and the undersides of the leaves for pests, and blast them off with a sharp jet of water from the garden hose.
3) Save your lawn from spongy patches
The ants buzzing around in the air won’t harm your garden, but the massive underground digging required to get them there can. To make room for thousands of new winged ants, the colony digs out a huge network of escape tunnels. This leaves your lawn feeling strangely spongy underfoot, and the hollowed-out soil can cause the grass roots to dry out and turn brown.
Keep an eye out for fine, sandy piles of soil popping up in your grass. On a dry, sunny day, use a stiff garden broom to brush these dirt mounds across the lawn. This flattens the piles and stops the loose dirt from suffocating and killing the grass underneath.
4) Let the birds do the heavy lifting
When the swarms finally take off, your garden will instantly become a popular feeding ground for local birds. Flying ants are a vital, high-protein snack for swifts, swallows, and seagulls. You might even spot seagulls doing a strange tap dance on your grass, a clever trick that mimics rain vibrations to trick the ants into crawling out of the ground.
Work with nature rather than against it. Avoid the temptation to pour boiling water or shake chemical ant powders over your lawn during a swarm. Let the birds handle the cleanup for you, keeping your garden safe and avoiding chemicals entirely.
