Just when you thought you'd dealt with the threat of wasps and the seemingly unending amount of flies, there is another summer pest to keep vigilant against.

Asian Super Ants have arrived and they are looking forward to getting stuck into your power cables and junction boxes.

Lasius Neglectus, as they are officially named, are known as 'electric' ants due to their love of power sources and they have been known to cause fires as they swarm into the home.

The ants are native to Uzbekistan, Turkey and some parts of south-eastern Europe and are known to arrive in the country in pot plants.

Asian Super Ants, known as 'electric' ants, are invading homes

An infestation of around one million ants were discovered in south east England and the fear is that there will be more discovered across the country.

Paul Pates, a pest controller in Eastbourne, East Sussex, told The Mirror: “Electric ants can be very disruptive as they will gather around cables or junction boxes and can cause them to short out - this can result in blackouts and, in the worst cases, fires.

"Our main worry is more have come into the UK in imported potted plants and that we will have difficulty getting rid of them as they are resistant to the treatments we would normally use for ants."

Not only are the ants a problem for electric cabling, they can also cause disruption to the native ecosystem.

Dr Elva Robinson, a lecturer in ecology at the University of York, said: "We think the invasive ants have the potential to have a big impact on the native ecosystem. In the sites we have studied, it is clear they are excluding the native ants.

“They are clearly dominating, and where they cluster, native species are being pushed out.”

What are your top tips for battling summer pests? Share them with us by emailing james.brinsford@reachplc.com.

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