Residents across Bracknell have reported swarms of flying ants today.

In recent weeks, people have spotted millions of the critters take to the sky and they're not sure why?

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The Natural History Museum said the winged ants appear at different times around the country and local weather conditions are critical for the coordination of swarming activity.

Judging by social media today, it appears the flying ants have made a return in parts of Berkshire

Closer to home in Bracknell Forest and Ascot, there have been numerous reports of the bugs making themselves known.

Dozens of people responded to a post on a community Facebook page asking whether anyone in Ascot had spotted them.

Nicola Jones said: "So today I've noticed some rather large ants walking around the patio.... So I watched those with wings for a few seconds..... It would seem flying ants are back but this time they land, decide they like the place and pull off their wings..."

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Ceri Tolley replied: "I always thought that there was only one day a year that flying ants did their thing but yesterday was the 2nd this year?"

Why is Flying Ant Day a thing?

Flying Ant Day is scientifically referred to as nuptial flight, the phenomena where virgin queens mate with males before starting new colonies.

For humans this basically means a large quantity of ants whizzing around.

The natural event has been described as "early Christmas" for seagulls, who enjoy feasting on the insects.

While it has been dubbed 'Flying Ant Day', a project by the Royal Society of Biology found that the widely held idea is actually a misconception.

Swaming is triggered by the weather and tends to happen in July or August. The study discovered that ants only flew on days when it was warm, not windy and conditions had improved compared to the previous day.