This familiar insect often causes more annoyance than actual damage, although in its persistent search for sweet-tasting foods, it will enter houses. The main damage is the result of the ants’ tunnelling to produce their complex nest, which can result in the lifting of the soil of the lawn (causing unevenness and problems when mowing). Ants are also attracted to the honeydew secreted by various sap-sucking insects and will crawl all over roses as they farm and protect the greenfly in return for the sweet liquid that they secrete. The large black flying ants emerge at the end of July and the beginning of August – they soon disappear. Where necessary, any one of the proprietary ant killers should be applied according to the instructions on the label. A biological control is now also available.