How to Get Rid of Flying Ants

During the late summers, the flying ants are seen in our houses. The reason is that these ants mate during the flight and establish new nests. The mating process involves the female flying ant laying scores of eggs. The male dies after mating and the female loses her wings. She then proceeds to start making new nests and ant colonies. When the eggs hatch, a new batch of ants are ready to invade our houses and gardens again. These ants are found only during particular seasons and do not cause any nuisance. They annoy us with their flying. This article centers around how to get rid of flying ants.

Of so many types of ants like the fire ant, carpenter ant, black ants, sugar ants, etc., flying ants are the least harmless. But it is necessary to get rid of them as they can be very annoying. However, the first thing you need to confirm is whether the flying ants are really flying ants and not flying termites. The best way to distinguish between the two is to look closely at their body. The flying ant's body is divided into three parts, the head, chest and the abdomen and the legs are attached to the head. On the other hand, the flying termite has only two body parts. The wings of the termite are same in length but those of the ants are unequal. These are the two differences between flying ants and termites. The paragraphs given below state the different measures of how to get rid of flying ants.

Get Rid of Flying Ants in the House

Ant Bait
One of the easiest ways of how to get rid of flying ants is the use of ant bait. Making a bait from sugar and baking soda can help you get rid of the ants within no time. Another bait is the mixture of boric acid with water and sugar. With the help of a cotton ball, apply this mixture of boric acid for ants on the ant trail and see the difference! If you find the ant nest, the best way to get rid of all of them in one go is to spray some insecticide or pesticide directly into it. It will ensure that the entire nest has been destroyed. Another way to kill the entire colony is to make a mixture from honey and borax powder. If this mixture reaches the nest, the entire colony can be killed easily.

Ant Sprays
Make ant sprays at home. One way of making ant spray is with soap and water and spray it on the ants. This will kill the ants. Another ant spray can be made with vinegar and water in the ratio of 1:1. The acid in the vinegar is very useful in killing the ants. Alternatively, mix plenty of cinnamon in water and spray the mixture all over the ant trail. This will reduce the ant infestation. Turmeric can also be used in ant sprays as it is useful in killing the ants. In case there is a huge ant infestation in your house, you can make a strong ant spray by mixing your dish soap with water. In order to get rid of the foul smell, you can add a few drops of any essential oil. Sweet smelling oil may attract more ants and this will mean that you can get rid of all of them soon. Some of the other remedies to kill ants are mint, salt, chilly powder and baby powder.

Others
As mentioned above, cinnamon and turmeric are useful in getting rid of ants. If you do not want to make a spray or if your house is infested a lot with these flying ants, sprinkle turmeric powder or ground cinnamon on the ant trail. This will kill the ants. Applying glue to boards also helps to trap the ants on it. However, if you have a lot of ants, this method might not be as effective. Spreading catnip on the ant trail will help to get rid of flying ants naturally.

Get Rid of Flying Ants in the Pool

If you can, introduce a bird-bath in your garden close to the pool. As birds eat insects, they might help you get rid of the flying ants too! Another way is to use the dish soap spray into the pool. Spraying this will reduce the ant infestation. If you live in an area where there are regular ant infestations, covering your pool daily would be a good precaution against the ants.

I hope this article has provided ways of how to get rid of flying ants. Apart from getting a pest control done, these were the other methods to get rid of them. After all these treatments, it is necessary that you clean the floor with bleach and water to prevent further infestation. Other things to remember include, washing the dishes in time and not allowing any food particles remain outside in or around the kitchen so that there are no ants in the house at all.