It’s a perfectly logical question. For most of the year, you see ants as tireless crawlers, marching in lines across your patio or kitchen floor. Then, on a warm summer day, you might see a swarm of insects that look just like ants, but with wings. So, can ants fly?
The answer is a fascinating "yes, but..." It's not a skill all ants possess. In fact, for the vast majority of an ant's life, and for most ants in a colony, flight is impossible.
The Direct Answer: Yes, But Only a Select Few
Yes, some ants can fly, but only for a very short and specific period of their lives. The ants you typically see—the wingless workers—cannot and will never fly. Flight is reserved exclusively for new, reproductive queens and males on their one and only mating journey.
[Here: An animated video explaining the different roles (castes) in an ant colony, including workers, queens, and alates.]
Meet the "Alates": The Ants That Can Fly
The specific term for a winged, reproductive ant is an alate. It's important to understand that these are not a separate species of "flying ant." Rather, they are a special caste born within a regular ant colony, such as the common Black Garden Ant.
While most of a colony is comprised of sterile, wingless female workers, a healthy, mature colony will produce these special alates. Their sole purpose is to leave the nest to create new colonies.
Why Only Some Ants Have Wings: A Matter of Caste
An ant's role in its colony is determined from birth. As entomology resources from institutions like the University of Nebraska-Lincoln explain, the ant life cycle dictates who gets wings.
Workers: These are all sterile females. They are born without wings and will never grow them. Their job is to forage for food, care for the young, and maintain the nest.
Alates (The Flyers): When a colony reaches a certain size and age, the queen begins to produce new, fertile males and future queens. These specific ants are born with wings. They stay in the nest, cared for by the workers, until the time is right for them to fly.
Caption: Wings are a feature of the reproductive caste (alates), not the worker caste.
The "Nuptial Flight": The Only Time Ants Will Ever Fly
The only reason an ant has wings is for the "nuptial flight." This is the mass, synchronized mating event often called "Flying Ant Day."
Driven by specific weather cues (usually a warm, humid day after rain), thousands of alates from many different colonies take to the sky at the same time. They mate in mid-air. What happens next is a crucial part of the answer to "can ants fly?":
The Males: After mating, the male alates' life purpose is complete, and they die shortly thereafter.
The Queens: The newly fertilized queens land, find a suitable spot for a nest, and then intentionally break off their own wings. They will never fly again. Their sole remaining purpose is to dig a nest and begin laying eggs to start a brand-new colony, becoming a wingless queen for the rest of their lives.
So, even the ants that can fly only do so for a single day.
What It Means When You See Flying Ants
When you witness a swarm of flying ants, you are seeing a sign of a healthy and successful ecosystem. It means one or more large, mature ant colonies are thriving nearby. It is a temporary, natural event that is over quickly.
However, because winged insects can cause concern, it's always wise to ensure you aren't looking at a more serious pest: the termite.
Quick Check: Remember, ants have pinched waists and bent antennae. Termites, their destructive look-alikes, have broad waists and straight antennae.
In conclusion, the answer to "can ants fly?" is a fascinating biological story. It's not a simple yes or no, but a tale of specialized castes, a once-in-a-lifetime journey, and the incredible strategies insects use to ensure the survival of their species.