Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Kill the flying ants one by one
• Part 2 of 2: Attack the colony
• What do you need

Flying ants are not a separate species. These pests are actually a species of other ant species, and winged individuals appear within a short period of time when the ants mate. If you spot a few ants flying here or there, they can usually be ignored, but infestation can be a bigger problem and you will of course want to kill them. You can kill flying ants by destroying the colony they come from.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Kill the flying ants one by one

1. 1 Use a household spray. There are many household poisons that can be used against all sorts of ants, and any ant spray should be effective against flying ants. To get to the flying ants, choose a variety of aerosols with an easy-to-direct attachment.
   • Always follow label directions to avoid accidental and potentially dangerous abuse.
   • Never direct aerosol poisons at any other person or animal in your home.
   • Make sure the venom you are using is safe for indoor use if you plan on killing flying ants indoors.
   • You also need to make sure that the aerosol you plan to use is legal in your area.
2. 2 Make a natural peppermint spray. Peppermint oil kills flying ants by suffocating. You can mix peppermint oil with water and soap in a spray bottle to create your own natural aerosol insecticide.
   • Mix one part liquid soap and two parts water in a spray bottle, then add a few drops of peppermint essential oil. Mix everything well to combine the ingredients.Spray this solution on any flying ants you see, at rest or in flight.
3. 3 Treat the ants with dish soap. Dishwashing detergent is effective against flying ants as it sticks to the bodies of ants and dehydrates them to death. To make a solution that you can easily use to attack flying ants, dilute dishwashing detergent with water in a standard spray bottle.
   • Fill the bottle with water and add a few drops of liquid dish soap. Mix everything well so that the soap is evenly distributed throughout the water. Treat winged ants in flight or at rest when you see them.
4. 4 Spread out some diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth destroys ants by dehydrating them to death. Spread it out around potential food sources. If an ant steps on it, its body will be riddled with small, jagged granules. The ant eventually dies from these wounds.
   • Use food grade diatomaceous earth, which is safer to use if there are children and pets in the house.
   • Sprinkle DZ anywhere you expect to find ants. The closer it is to the food source, the better, as flying ants are more likely to land on the spot directly next to the food, rather than further away.
   • Do not wet the DZ. Store in a dry place so that the sharp pellets work as efficiently as possible.
   • Since the ants must directly cross the EZ, there is no guarantee that this will be effective against the flying ants, as the flying ants could find a way to access the food source without crawling to the surrounding EZ. However, you may decide that you should still try DZ as a powerful ant control.
5. 5 Buy an electric fly swatter. The electric fly swatter works well against many different types of flying insects, and flying ants are no exception. Hang the swatter in an area where you usually catch flying ants and wait for the device to fix the problem for you.
   • Hang the electric fly swatter in open areas so insects can easily fly into it. It is also important to place it out of the reach of pets or children. While the electricity generated by an electric swatter is usually not enough to cause any serious damage to large pets such as dogs and cats, or to most children, shock can still be painful.
   • The electric fly swatter is supposed to lure flying insects.
   • Follow directions to avoid misusing the electric fly swatter in a potentially dangerous manner.
6. 6 Trap ants with duct tape. Lay tape around potential food sources. When the ants land on the belt, they will get stuck and will not be able to fly away.
   • For this to be effective, you need to place the sticky side of the tape as close to the food source as possible. Flying ants are less likely to land on the ribbon unless it's in close proximity to a food source.
   • Since flying ants move 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 ribbon as, technically, there is some chance that they can fly around it. However, as a non-toxic, inexpensive method, it's worth trying.

Part 2 of 2: Attack the colony

1. 1 Track down the nest. In order to get rid of the flying ants for good, you will need to track down their nest from which they emerge. Killing the ant colony should fix the problem.
   • Understand that flying ants are only sexually active forms of other ant species. In other words, they are not a separate species of ants at all.When you find a colony that the flying ants belong to, it will consist mostly of wingless ants. If you want to kill the flying ants, you must kill the wingless colony that these ants came from.
   • Try to find a colony of ants by watching them. If you find an anthill they come from, you can attack it directly. If you cannot find the actual nest, however, you can still attack flying ants, spreading poisons that flying and wingless individuals can take.
2. 2 Use household pesticides. Ant baits and other household poisons are effective against flying ants if they are intended to be used against ants in general. Look for pesticides that the ants will carry into the nest, as they will do the most damage this way.
   • Ant baits are some of the most effective remedies, especially when dealing with flying ants. The ants will take the bait to the colony, where the queen will consume it and die. After the queen dies, the rest of the colony will soon perish.
   • Ant baits come in the form of gels, granules, and attachments. Most are safe to use if pets and children are in the house, but you should nevertheless keep them out of reach whenever possible.
   • Note that these baits can be sugar based or protein based and different bases will attract different species of ants. If one of them doesn't work, try another.
   • Always follow directions to avoid overusing poison in a potentially dangerous way
3. 3 Make a borax and sugar trap. Borax is highly toxic to ants, but if mixed with something sweet, the ants will not smell poisonous and will carry the sweet, smelling food to the colony. When the queen and the entire colony have eaten the borax, the ants will die.
   • Mix equal parts borax and sugar. Slowly add water to the mixture, stirring constantly, until it becomes a paste. Spread this paste on a piece of cardboard and place in the area where the flying ants live. If everything works out correctly, the ants should eat the bait and take some of it to the colony.
   • Note that borax paste usually dries out within a few days, so you will need to repeat it if there is no result after the first try.
   • Be careful when using borax around pets and small children, as it is also poisonous to them.
4. 4 Use boiling water. After you find the ant colony, pour boiling water over the anthill. Ants getting boiled water will scald, and the rest will most likely move away from the new threat and damage you just caused.
   • The water needs to be more than just a little hot, it needs to be boiling. Boil as much water as you can in a kettle. Once the water is ready, remove it from the heat and take it to the nest. Fill the nest with water while it is as hot as possible.
   • Try placing the flowerpot upside down over the nest before scalding the ants. Pour water into the nest through the drain hole at the bottom of the pot. This will act as a trap for escaping ants, protecting you from being bitten.
5. 5 Set the trap using baking soda and powdered sugar. Baking soda is another remedy that can kill ants. When you mix it with powdered sugar, you mask the smell and lure flying ants who will eat it and carry some of it to the nest. The ants that eat it will die.
   • The baking soda reacts with the acidic substance ants naturally carry inside for protection. When baking soda is mixed with this acid, a violent reaction develops and kills the ants as a result.
6. 6 Kill ants with an artificial sweetener. Some types of artificial sweetener are extremely toxic to ants, but often the smell of sweetness is enough to lure them in. The ants will carry the artificial sweetener to the queen and to the nest, and any ants that consume it will die off.
   • Aspartame, in particular, acts as a neurotoxin on ants.
   • Mix some artificial sweetener with some apple juice, adding enough apple juice to make a paste. The ants will eat some of this paste, and take a little to the colony. After individuals eat it in the colony, their number will decrease.

What do you need

• Aerosol poison
• Spray bottle
• Peppermint oil
• Water
• Liquid dishwashing detergent
• Diatomaceous earth
• Electric fly swatter
• Duct tape
• Ant bait
• Sugar
• Bura
• Artificial sweeteners
• Baking soda
• Kettle