Is it normal to have a swarm of dying flying ants in your house?

47% Normal
7 Comments

Few days ago, I noticed a swarm of flying ants inside the house, there were tens of them. They were all dying, spinning, and acting really weird. It was pretty creepy so I left them alone. I came back later and they were all dead.

My first reaction was that someone sprayed pesticide in ant colony and they were fleeing, but everyone denied it.

What on earth is that? Is it normal?

Voting Results
47% Normal
Based on 74 votes (35 yes)
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Comments ( 7 )
  • imgx64
    13 years ago

    I have no idea how they got in. But anyway, I uncovered the mystery using the Internet (thanks Google!)

    Apparently, this is a normal phenomena in ants, it's called "Nuptial flight" or "Flying ant day." It happens during a specific period of the year (not necessarily one day.) Young unfertilized queen ants and male ants (both usually have wings) leave the nest and try to mate with queens/males from other nests. The lucky queens will drop to the ground, lose the wings, and dig a nest to begin a new colony. And all the males die shortly after that.

    What I've seen is probably a swarm of males at the end of their lives. Poor guys, they never had a chance.

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    • Mcanary75
      8 years ago

      This is nuts!! I'm glad I came here and seen other ppl have had this happen around them. My kids went outside to play on their trampoline about an hour after arriving home, about 2pm and like 80 degrees out and a partly sunny sky. First thing I noticed getting out of the car was thousands of ants all swarming around everywhere, then all of a sudden we see them all fall to the ground and thought wow what the heck is going on. There were thousands all over the trampoline and our vehicles. Never knew that this was typical as I've never seen them even around the house at all.

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    • ariannel
      12 years ago

      I have seen this before and you're absolutely correct.

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  • Avant-Garde
    10 years ago

    It's normal if it's part of their natural behaviours. I have a similar "problem" but it's with bees. They somehow find their way into my basement where they die. However, some of have been rescued and taken outside where they start to function normally.

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  • ucipher8
    10 years ago

    Insects in general creep me out. Flying ants, dying in a pool in one certain spot? Run!

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  • Ryuhei
    13 years ago

    That happened to me once, my mom picked me up from daycare and there were a whole bunch of dying flying ants in my house, I have no idea how they got in or why they decided to choose my house to die in but when I saw them I immediataly went in my room while my mom vaccumed them up!

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  • kellstar
    13 years ago

    How did they get inside your house? An open window? Or door? Sounds weird that they would just all die like that!

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