Toxic Fumes and a plague of large flying ants in LL

[Grotty]

Anyone else fear for their lives today whilst walking past Somerfield LL making breathing very difficult. What was it? This was also about the same time that LL seemed to be infested by a plague of large flying ants....on speaking to hubby who is working in Ealing said plague is also reported present there...eek

[kford]

It's Ant Day! Bikers and cyclists - cover your eyes.

[Siduhe]

Flying Ant Day indeed. Growing up, was always told that the young queen and male ants will all take to the skies in their "nuptial flight" with a few days of each other in any given area. Will be over in a week or so.

[Rhinestone Cowboy]

Hello.. Based in Bond St and we have them here as well.. funny watching the doormen at Claridge's bat them away

[seanmlow]

Oh my God! I went into Sommerfield today and thought I was going to be sick from the smell it was so potent!

The cashier said to me she had been inhaling it for 3 hours! All they had was a poor handwritten note saying 'these fumes are not toxic - just due to maintenance from the upstairs warehouse'. I think it is terrible they had to work in those conditions.

Then, walking back to my car (on Northcross), a swarm of ants attacked me! They got in my hair and under my jumper! Didn't think anything of it until I saw this thread.

[PeckhamRose]

Hi

I believe it is a prelude to storms, too. (The ant thing, not the smell thing. Surely that deserves a quick anonymous phone call to Health and Safety if ever I heard one!)

Went for a stroll across Peckham Rye park to the Clockhouse for relaxing half or three, and indeed those pesky ants got everywhere.

[Sue]

Person in front of me in the queue in Somerfield complained to the manager.

I just wanted to get out quick :))

Was told by the cashier that it was due to "cleaners cleaning the floor upstairs" but I'm sure inhaling fumes like this, toxic or not, can't be good for the lungs.

And yeh - bloody flying ants - they're in Islington as well. Brought back hideous memories of walking home from school and a load of them got in my hair.

Traumatised for life :))

[lorenika]

I was coming back home today from work (I work in Brockley) and I couldn't stop looking at the floor seeing all these flying ants!!! I must have seen more than 200 in some minutes.. I don't think they were here yesterday.. and they were definitely not there last week!! what is happening? where have they come from? anyone remembers having seen these flying ants last year? it's horrible!

[seanmlow]

What's next? A plague of frogs?

[Muttley]

It was ant day in our house about a week ago, so it looks like the plague is slowly heading north up Lordship Lane.

[Sue]

There's still plenty in North Cross Road :))

[Pierre]

Having worked indoors in Fulham all day today, I wondered what those things that kept going "toc" against the motorbike visor were, until I got home and found a carpet of dead flying ants all over my car. Yes, it's flying ants day. Probably for a couple of days.

I'm cycling tomorrow so will remember the glasses and to try not to breathe in through my mouth...

: P

[Sue]

Pierre Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> > I'm cycling tomorrow so will remember .... to try not to breathe in through my mouth...

xxxxxx

Too much information :))

[cheyanne]

I also noticed all the flying ants, after 15 minutes in the local swing park with kids, decided that I'd had enough. On the way home popped in to Somerfield, was hit by a very strong "supergluish" smell. Asked what it was, was told they were cleaning the floors upstairs. So came home with a slight headache and the feeling that there was things crawling all over me.

[Nero]

I have been in the upstairs warehouse. Think Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets How Clean is Your House. (I had to wash my hands after having picked up several bags of trimmed spring onions that were swimming in fetid onion juice and needed to wash my mitts.) It's not a nice place, is it, really, eh? Just let's hope Co-Op will make it all better. Nero