Swarms of ants have sent Dubliners running from public parks in panic this week, but the black clouds of tiny creatures are merely a sign of love.

Rising temperatures and humidity in recent days have sent ant passions soaring and when that happens ants grow wings and fly.

The black swarms have been reported in Dublin gardens and even sent people fleeing from Bushy Park in Terenure in south Dublin this week.

They are not a danger, however, according to Trinity College entomologist Dr Mark Brown. They are just engaging in their annual mating ritual.

The male ants have been waiting weeks for this event. Females join them in the air to mate, often taking up to three partners.

For the males it's a very brief affair. Passion spent, they waste away and die within a few days. "Like bees, I am afraid the males are little more than flying receptacles for sperm" says Dr Brown.

For females too the pleasure is brief. They only mate once in a lifetime but their bodies retain sperm and release it on an annual basis to allow the female to lay fertilised eggs.

Over a lifetime a single female can lay between 1,000 and 10,000 offspring.

According to Dr Brown, people should be assured that the ants are less interested in humans than in each other as they swarm.

Once they have mated, the females drop to the ground and break off their wings before looking for somewhere comfortable to nest.

Dr Brown's advice to anyone trying to keep ants out of their house this summer is simply to block their access routes.

"There was a famous entomologist called Ed Wilson who was asked what he would do if ants got into his house. He replied 'I would watch them', which I think is good advice -- they are fascinating," Dr Brown added.