Winged ants or flying ants may be seen almost any time of the year, but most often in the late spring and the summer.

Ant colonies commonly produce these winged reproductives (called swarmers, which are males and females). Their job is to fly out from the colony to start new colonies. The presence of swarmers is an indication that there is a mature ant colony close by or in the house. This can be problematic as the ants are looking for a place to establish a new colony. What could be more problematic is the presence of termite swarmers. While the incidence of termites in Maine may not be large, they do exist there.