In several places, like the Saint-Sauveur neighborhood of Quebec, it was difficult to miss the small winged insects. Thousands of ants populated streets, sidewalks and cars.
In some places it was difficult to walk on the sidewalk due to the high number of flying ants.
Photo: Radio Canada / Camille Carpentier
This type of behavior is known as “swarming,” according to Pierre-Olivier Ouellet, entomologist at Bibitte Mobile.
There are more than 12,000 species of ants in the world and they don’t all reproduce at the same time.
When the time comes to breed, the winged males and females of many leave the nest flying in large numbers to mate, thus founding other colonies.
No risk to plants, plants and people
Once they’ve mated, they fall to the ground and lose their wings, he explains.
Ants release pheromones to synchronize their nuptial flight with that of other colonies.
This tactic gives them a numerical advantage, according to Pierre-Olivier Ouellet, since even the most voracious predators cannot eat so many ants in such a short time.
Entomologist Pierre-Olivier Ouellet
Photo: Radio Canada
The vast majority will manage to avoid being eaten and will manage to establish a colony elsewhere. That’s why we see them all at the same time, he adds.
Because reproduction is their goal, these ants pose no risk to vegetation, crops, or humans.
Pierre-Olivier Ouellet advises people not to worry and enjoy the show. The best thing is to live with it, to like it, he says.
Other swarming periods like this could occur between now and winter.
In collaboration with Marie-Pier Mercier and Camille Carpentier