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Flying ants swarm hotel room

The ants fly out to mate when it rains, said the hotel

Helen Coffey
Monday 26 April 2021 11:19 BST
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Flying ants swarmed a hotel room in China
Flying ants swarmed a hotel room in China (AP)

Hundreds of flying ants swarmed a hotel room in China.

The unlucky guest was staying in accommodation in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, when the incident occurred.

The unnamed traveller filmed the infestation on 22 April, opening the door to show a torrent of ants pouring forth.

“Lots of flying ants fly into our room in a hotel we stay in Xishuangbanna tonight,” they said.

Hotel staff said the male ants fly out to breed when it rains, favouring Xishuangbanna’s tropical climate, reports AP.

The guest was given a new room and a complimentary airport drop-off as compensation.

It’s not the first time ants have caused trouble for travellers.

In June 2019, passengers on a United Airlines flight were left shuddering after an infestation of ants was discovered onboard.

Travellers started to notice the creepy-crawlies while the service from Venice, Italy, to Newark, New Jersey was still taxiing on the runway.

Charlotte Burns, a podcast editor onboard flight 169, called the experience “heeby-jeeby-goose-bumpy-get-me-a-gin-gross” while live tweeting about it during the nine-hour service on 17 June.

“On the plane from Venice to New York when a large, fat ant walks over my pillow. Hmmm. That’s odd,” she started by tweeting.

“Minutes later, another fat little bug hurries over the television screen.

“Then another one – on my arm! These are bold. I start to feel itchy.”

Another traveller encouraged crew to inspect the overhead bins, whereupon it was discovered that the ants originated from one man’s bag.

“The guy in front pulls down his case (which btw isn’t zipped shut, as middle aisle guy notes to me in an aside) and ants ants ants spill out, running in every which direction,” wrote Burns.

United Airlines confirmed the aircraft had been taken out of service once it reached Newark for thorough cleaning.

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