Flying ants are not a species unto themselves - these parasites are part of other ant species, and winged varieties emerge for a short time during the mating season. While a few flying ants here or there can be safely ignored, an infestation can be a bigger problem, one that you understandably might want to wipe out. You can kill flying ants by sight or by directly attacking the colony they come from.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Killing the Ants Individually
Step 1. Use a spray product
There are several insect poisons on the market that you can use against ants of any species, and any ant spray should be effective against flying ants. To hit them in flight, choose one that has an easy-to-steer nozzle.
- Always follow the instructions on the label to avoid accidental and potentially dangerous misuse.
- Never direct the spray at another person or animal in the house.
- Make sure the spray you use is also suitable for indoor use if you want to kill ants around the house.
- You also need to verify that the spray you want to use is legal in your area.
Step 2. Make a natural peppermint spray
Peppermint oil kills flying ants by choking. You can mix it with soap and water in a bottle to make your own insecticide spray.
Combine 1 part liquid soap with 2 parts water in a spray bottle, then add several drops of peppermint oil. Mix well to combine everything. Spray this solution on any flying ants you see, in flight or at rest
Step 3. Spray some dish soap on the ants
Dishwashing liquid is effective against flying ants because it sticks to their bodies and dehydrates them to death. To make a solution that is easy to use on flying ants, dilute a little with water in any spray bottle.
Fill a bottle of water and add a few squirts of liquid dish soap. Mix well so that the soap is evenly distributed. Spray on flying ants on sight, in flight or at rest
Step 4. Roll out some diatomaceous earth (or DE)
Diatomaceous earth works against ants by dehydrating them to death. Draw a trace around potential food sources. If the ant walks in it, its body is attacked by the small jagged granules and at some point it will die from the wounds.
- Use food safe diathyomaceous earth so you can use it around children and pets safely.
- Dust ED in any area where you expect to find ants. The closer it is to a food source, the better it will be, because flying ants are more likely to land on a spot right next to the food than on a distant one.
- Do not get the ED wet. It should be dry to maximize the effect of the granules.
- Since ants have to go through ED directly, there is no certainty that it will be effective against flying ones, as they may find an alternative way to get to food. However, being a powerful ant remedy, it may be worth a try.
Step 5. Invest in an electrified trap
An electrified insect trap works with several species with wings, and flying ants are no exception. Hang the trap in an area where you know they are present and wait for the device to take care of the problem for you.
- When hanging electrified lamps, place them in open areas so that insects can easily fly into them. It is also important to put them out of the reach of pets and children. Although the electricity emitted by the trap is usually not enough to seriously injure large animals (such as cats and dogs) or children, the shock produced can still be painful.
- The lamp itself should attract flying ants.
- Follow the instructions carefully to avoid misuse and potentially dangerous use of the electrified trap.
Step 6. Trap the ants with the adhesive
Lay a perimeter around potential food sources. When the ants land on the sticker, they will get stuck and will not be able to fly away.
- To make this effective you need to place the tape sticky side up and put it as close to the food source as possible. They are very unlikely to land on the sticker if it is not directly next to the food.
- Since flying ants travel by flying rather than on the ground, this treatment is not always the most effective. After all, there is no guarantee that the flying ants will land on the web as, technically, there is a chance to avoid it by flying. However, as a non-toxic and inexpensive option, it may be worth a try.
Part 2 of 2: Attacking the Colony
Step 1. Track down the lair
To permanently get rid of the flying ants you will need to follow them to the burrow they came from. Killing an ant colony will be a more permanent solution.
- Understand that flying ants are only the sexually active form of a given ant species. In other words, it is not a separate species. When you find the colony that the flying ants belong to, it will mostly consist of wingless ants. Consequently, if you want to eliminate the flying ones, you will have to kill the colony of "normal" ants they come from.
- Try to follow them to the den by observing them. If you can find the anthill they come from, you can attack it directly. If you can't find the burrow you can still attack the flying ants at the root by spreading poisons that they will carry back to the colony.
Step 2. Use a commercial pesticide
Ant baits and other commercially available poisons are effective against flying ants as long as the label says they are against ants in general. Look for pesticides that the ants will bring back to the colony because they are the ones that will do the most damage.
- Ant baits are among the most effective poisons, especially when dealing with flying ones. The ants bring the bait back to the colony, where the queen eats it and dies. After the queen's death, the rest of the colony quickly follows her.
- Ant baits are available in gels, granules, and stations. For the most part they are safe to use around children and pets, but you should still keep them out of reach whenever possible.
- Note that these baits may be sugar-based or protein-based - different bases attract different species of ants. If one doesn't work, try the other.
- Always follow the instructions carefully to avoid using the poison incorrectly and potentially dangerously.
Step 3. Create a sugar and borax trap
Borax is highly toxic to ants, but if you mix it with something sweet, the ants will not smell the poison and will carry the sweet smelling food to their colony. When the queen and the rest of the colony eat the borax, they will die.
- Combine equal parts of sugar and borax. Slowly add water to the mixture, stirring constantly, until it forms a batter. Spread this batter on a piece of construction paper and place it in an area where you usually see them congregate. The ants should be attracted to the batter, and if it works properly, they should bring some back to the colony.
- Note that borax pastes like this tend to dry out in a few days, so you may need to do another one if the first round doesn't fix the problem right away.
- Be careful when using borax in areas frequented by children and animals, as it is poisonous to them too.
Step 4. Use boiling water
After you find the colony, pour boiling water into the anthill. Ants that come into direct contact with the water will be burned, and the rest will move away from the area after this new threat appears and the damage you just dealt.
- The water should be more than very hot: it must be very hot. Bring a pot filled to the brim to a boil; when it is ready, remove it from the heat and pour it directly on the anthill while the water is still at its maximum temperature.
- Consider placing a flowerpot on the anthill before boiling the water to chase the ants. Pour the water through the drainage holes into the pot. Doing so traps the ants and protects you from any bites and stings from those on the run.
Step 5. Set a trap using baking soda and sugar
Baking soda is another lethal element for ants. Mixing it with powdered sugar masks its smell, causing flying ants to carry it to the queen and the colony. Ants will eat it and die.
Baking soda reacts with an acidic substance that ants naturally have for protection. When baking soda mixes with this acid, a violent reaction develops which as a result kills the ants
Step 6. Kill the ants with an artificial sweetener
Some types of artificial sweeteners are extremely toxic to ants, but their sweet smell is often enough to attract them. The artificial sweetener is returned to the colony and the ants will die after consuming it.
- Aspartame, in particular, is known to act as a neurotoxin against ants.
- Mix some artificial sweetener with some apple juice, just enough to make a batter. The ants will eat some of it and carry some to the rest of the colony. Once consumed there, the population will be decimated.
