Flying ants swarm the Philadelphia area
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Something was bugging Philadelphia area residents on Monday night.
Swarms of flying insects seemed to take over parts of the Delaware Valley.
Action News viewers from South Philadelphia, Center City, Bucks and Montgomery counties called in to say the insects - thought to be gnats but later revealed to be flying ants - were covering everything from trash cans to windows.
The reports Monday are a result of the insects mating in a one-day, once-a-year occurrence, experts say.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia police were at a loss for words.
They tweeted, "Hmm. No, We don't know where all of these gnats came from, either. However, we, for one, welcome our new insect overlords," in a reference to an episode of The Simpsons.
And the Philadelphia Department of Health warns not to use flamethrowers (in a tweet using another Simpsons reference).
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