You may have noticed a surge in flying critters recently - last week there were so many flying ants over London that the Met Office's weather radar picked them up as if they were rain clouds!

Each year ants leave their underground nests and take to the skies to mate and begin new colonies, in what has become known as "Flying Ant Day" - although across the country these days occur at different points across the summer.

According to the Royal Society of Biology most ant colonies start with a flying ant - when young queens leave the nest to found their own colony.

The frequency in which the flying ants appear changes each year and is dependent on the weather.

The Met Office posted an incredible time lapse of its weather radar between 9am and 12pm last Friday showing clear "echoes" of insects.

View the Met Office weather radar video here.

It can be quite distressing to get caught up in a swarm of flying ants and methods for killing them are often shared around this period.

But Twickenham resident Dee Patel of Meet and Deep and well-known Karma advocate says that we should think twice about swatting or killing them, and choose to be kind to them.

He said: "Ants are actually ecologically important as they aerate our soil. They are harmless, and the majority of them are all young queens. The queens are only around for a few days, after which they spend their entire lives underground.

"They don't see daylight again for up to 30 years as that's how long they can live!

"So let us let them enjoy the few days of freedom they have.

"They are harmless and will disappear in just two days by themselves.

"Until then, try and stay indoors to avoid stepping on them if you can, keep litter away and food containers closed."

For those who really can't stand the ants, Dee recommends sprinkling fine black pepper instead of swatting them.

He says: "You can sprinkle fine black pepper powder around where they come (but NOT directly on the ants) as this actually kindly stops all ants without harming them.

"It also stops all insects including green fly, aphids, woodlice and all other insects without harming them (as long as you don't sprinkle directly on them).

"It has to be fine powdered black pepper, but talcum powder works even better, just not directly on the ants.

"You can also leave saucers with cloths on them that have been soaked in white vinegar in areas where you don't want flying ants (and ants in general) to come and they will stop kindly.

"Stay indoors if you can and allow them to live out their two days of freedom in peace and you will have good karma for choosing to be kind."