It might sound like a total nightmare, particularly when they swarm while mating, but luckily, these winged creatures aren't at all dangerous. And controlling the population, while frustrating, isn't as hard as it seems. Just because you find a few flying ants in your home, it doesn't mean that you're about to experience an ant invasion. Male flying ants die immediately after mating, and not all queen ants will survive to start a new colony.
Flying ants are not a unique species of ant, but rather one developmental phase common to all ant species. These ants fly out of their colonies with the goal of mating. They are normally most active in the warm days of late spring and summer, and the behavior often leads to new colonies being formed. You can get rid of obvious swarms with a vacuum, whether a handheld or full-sized vacuum with a hose attachment. Immediately remove the vacuum bag and get it out of the house so the ants can't find their way back inside.
Spray pesticides will also kill visible ants, both crawling and flying. But these will not affect the hidden colony, which will continue breeding more ants until it is addressed. Sprays should be used with great caution when used indoors.
If you feel strongly about the safety of commercial pest treatment, try a natural version by mixing dish soap and peppermint oil. Fill a spray bottle with one part liquid soap, two parts water, and a few drops of oil, and then spray the ants and the surrounding area. The soap dehydrates the insect, while the peppermint oil suffocates them. As with any ant infestation, you will not rid your home of all the ants unless you attack the colony where they are breeding. This colony is the source of the flying ants, and is best addressed by setting ant bait.
Ant bait is generally a sweet substance mixed with borax or another substance that disrupts the ants' reproduction cycle. The ants pick up the bait and take it back to the nest, where it kills the entire colony. As an alternative, insecticidal dust can be injected into the area where the ants are living.
This is a solution best handled by a professional exterminator, and it requires that you pinpoint the exact location of the ant colony. If you see a swarm of winged ants —especially if you spot them during the winter months when they are most likely breeding—there is a strong likelihood that there is a carpenter ant nest within your home.
That can be quite a serious problem, as carpenter ants are second only to termites in their ability to do structural damage. Flying carpenter ants are larger than normal house ants, as much as 1 inch long. If carpenter ants is the species infesting your home, it's important to remove and replace any rotten, decaying wood in the walls or under the floors, as this decaying material is what fosters the ant colony.
This can sometimes be quite an involved project if the damage is extensive, probably requiring the work of a professional contractor. But you can't guarantee that you've fully rid your home of carpenter ants unless you have removed the decaying wood that they nest in. Ant baits are generally fairly harmless substances, but you should still take precautions to set them in areas where pets and children can't reach them.
Ant baits contain sweet substances that attract ants and which can also be tasty to pets. Some insecticidal sprays and dusts are mildly toxic to pets and humans and should be used carefully and selectively —aimed directly at visible ants, not applied indiscriminately. Flying ants are found in the home for the same reason as crawling ants: there are sources of food and moisture and areas for establishing colonies. Most species of ants feed on ordinary food substances, and they can colonize in almost any dark, hidden area.
If you see flying ants, it means the hidden colony is well established, capable of fostering reproducing ants. However, if you identify carpenter ants, it's because they have found decaying wood somewhere in your home, probably hidden in the walls near ground level or under the floors. Carpenter ants don't eat this decaying wood like termites do, but they use it to carve out tunnels and galleries in which to nest.
The presence of carpenter ants means there is decaying wood somewhere. The best way to prevent any ant species from infesting your home is to eliminate food sources. Make sure foods are kept stored in closed containers, and keep floors and countertops uniformly clean. Sweet or greasy materials are especially attractive to ants. At first glance, flying ants are often mistaken for termites, as both pests have four wings and antennae.
Plus, swarmers have the pinched waists typical to ants and elbowed antennae, unlike the straight ones of termites. Dig out or pick up! You may have just spotted two or three flying ants that buzzed in through an open window. This may or may not be possible.
If you do find the colony, though, destroy it. The easiest and most effective way to do so is to pour boiling water over it. Keep the water as hot as possible until you quickly pour it into the hole on top of the colony where the ants emerge. Caulk any areas that look like they could be letting pests in from outside. For a little extra prevention, mix one tablespoon of boric acid powder with a cup of water, or a separate solution with equal parts water and vinegar , and spray the area where you found the swarm.
By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. All rights reserved. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. Use a commercial aerosol. There are a variety of commercial bug poisons you can use against ants of all varieties, and any ant spray should be effective against flying ants.
To get to the ants mid-flight, choose an aerosol variety with an easy-to-direct spout. Always follow the label instructions to prevent accidental and potentially hazardous misuse. Never direct aerosol poisons at any other person or animal in your household. Make sure that the poison you use is safe to use indoors if you plan on killing flying ants indoors.
Be sure to verify that the aerosol you plan to use is legal in your area. Make a natural peppermint spray.
You can mix peppermint oil with water and dish soap in a spray bottle to create your own natural insecticide spray. Combine one part liquid soap and with two parts water in a spray bottle, then add several drops of peppermint essential oil. Mix well to combine. Spray this solution on any flying ants you see, either at rest or in flight. Spray the ants with dish soap. Dish soap alone is effective against flying ants since it sticks to the ants' bodies and dehydrates them, causing death.
To make a solution that you can easily use to attack flying ants, dilute the dish soap with water inside a standard spray bottle. Fill a bottle with water and add a few squirts of liquid dish soap. Mix well so that the soap is evenly distributed throughout the water. Spray winged ants in flight or at rest. Lay out some diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth works against ants by causing dehydration and death.
Lay a perimeter around potential food sources. If the ant steps into it, its body will be pierced by the small, jagged granules. The ant will eventually die from these wounds. Use food grade diatomaceous earth so that it is safer to use around kids and pets. Sprinkle the DE in any area you expect to find ants. The closer it is to a food source, the better, since flying ants are more likely to land at a spot directly next to the food rather than a spot further away.
Do not wet the DE. It should be kept dry so that the sharp granules work as effectively as possible. Since the ants have to cross into the DE directly, there is no guarantee that it will be effective against flying ants, since flying ants might find a way to access the food source without crawling over the DE surrounding it.
As a powerful ant killer, though, you may still find DE worth trying. Invest in a bug zapper. An electric bug zapper works well against many different types of flying insects, and flying ants are no exception. Hang the bug zapper in an area you typically catch flying ants in and wait for the device to take care of the problem for you.
It is also important to place them out of the reach of pets or children. While the electricity produced by the bug zapper is not usually enough to cause any severe harm to larger pets, like dogs and cats, or to most children, the shock produced can still be painful. The bug zapper itself should lure the flying ants toward it. Follow the instructions carefully to avoid using the bug zapper in a potentially hazardous way.
Trap ants with tape. Lay a perimeter of tape around potential food sources. When the ants land on the tape, they will get stuck and will be unable to fly away. Flying ants are less likely to land on the tape if it is not directly beside the food source.
Since flying ants travel by flying instead of crawling, this treatment is not always the most effective. After all, you cannot guarantee that the flying ants will land on the tape since, technically, there is some chance that they can fly around it.
Nonetheless, as a non-toxic, inexpensive option, it may still be worth a try. Part 2. Track down the nest. Killing the colony of ants will provide you with a more permanent solution. Understand that flying ants are only the sexually active forms of an ant species.
0コメント