Is it not enough that Seagulls have got the courage up to swoop down and a grab a chicken fillet roll from our hands without them now being on Acid?
Do not get too alarmed. This is Flying Ant season and with literally hundreds of thousands of Flying Ants populating the skies it is party time for Seagulls.
Ants naturally produce formic acid and they use it as a defence mechanism against prey.
It is speculated that Seagulls like the taste and they are compared to kids with smarties. The Seagulls, however, pose more danger to themselves than us when they have consumed a lot of this Ant Acid. It is widely reported that they can come across stupefied or drunk. Putting themselves in danger by not moving from approaching animals or traffic.
Most pest control companies, and some wildlife advocacy groups will have stories about phone calls they have received from concerned citizens about the “Seagull is not moving”. We attended a call where the Seagull had landed on a trampoline and simply did not want to move. We were not going to take our chances (he was a big fella) and move him, so we explained what we felt was happening. Within a few hours he left of his own accord. Similar to not getting out of bed with a hangover, you eventually have to get up.
So, go easy on the Seagulls if one happens to sleep it off in your garden. They will be fine and will go about their business soon enough.
Every year Garden Ant colonies develop wings and take Nuptial Flight whereby they mate on the wing. The males only purpose is to mate with the queens and then they die. The fertilised queens then lose their wings and burrow into soil to start a nest of their own. These poor Ants only chance of mating can be swooped away by a Gull looking for a quick buzz. Nature can be so cruel.
