Today is being hailed as national Flying Ants Day, where swarms of the flying insects can be found all across the UK.

Kent folk are being told to prepare themselves as the flying ants travel across the country over the next few weeks.

They've already been spotted in parts of the county, with thousands landing in people's gardens.

The annual event, which is also referred to as the 'nuptial flight', is an important part of the ants reproduction process and usually takes place in either the end of July or beginning of August when the weather becomes hotter and drier.

Although it is referred to as Flying Ants Day, the actual process can take up to nearly three weeks to complete.

The 'nuptial flight' sees the average back-garden ant grow bigger and develop wings before beginning their flight.

During this flight the young queen ants will mate with the strongest males before landing and starting their own colony in a new location.

This crucial process prevents cross-breeding within the colony and helps to spread the ant population, with each new colony being able to house thousands of ants.

Residents in Kent are already feeling the affects of the insects and are taking to social media to alert their friends and family.

People are taking to social media to report sightings of the insects in Kent

On Facebook, Dee Wickham, from Ashford, reminded people to keep all their doors and windows firmly closed as the flying ants begin to take over the town.

She said:"There was a huge lift this morning in Kennington from our neighbour's garden.

"This is a normal phenomenon which happens every year where all the flying ants 'lift' at once from a nest.

"They are just a bit of a pain as there are so many. Best to go inside and shut them out until they find a mate and a new home!"

"They are just a bit of a pain as there are so many" - Dee Wickham

Although the flying ants are a nuisance, people are being advised to leave them alone during the summer months due to the environmental benefits they bring such as controlling pests, helping to nutrients as well as also improving garden fertility as they aerate soil.

And this year it seems the 'nuptial flight' has started even earlier in Kent due to the recent hot weather, some of which is set to be returning to the region this weekend.

The Met Office has predicted we will be in for some sunshine with highs of 27 degrees on Friday, cooling down to 25 degrees on Saturday before becoming cloudy on Sunday with highs of 20 degrees.

* Have you seen loads of flying ants? Get in touch with pictures at news@thekmgroup.co.uk