Ants are undesirable in the house and garden. Just before summer begins, swarms of flying ants can be seen. Where are you from? How do you get rid of them quickly?
Where do flying ants come from?
Flying ants are not a special species. They are common ants that are on their wedding flight. When ants become sexually mature, they grow wings. Flying ants are uncomfortable. However, they do not pose a threat. They are not looking for food, they are just looking for a partner to reproduce. The wedding flight only lasts a few days. After mating, the males die. The females then found their own state or return to their nest.
Repel flying ants
Do not use poison. We have put together 12 methods for you with which you can effectively banish the little animals from your home.
Attach the fly screen
One way to prevent flying ants from entering the home is with fly screens. Attach this in early May. In June, the nuptial flight of the domestic ants has already ended. Keep doors and windows closed.
Use essential oils
People love the fresh scent of citrus fruits. Ants are deterred by it. Place citrus scented potpourris in the apartment or use
Fragrance lamps.Plant fragrant herbs
As an alternative to the use of essential oils, scented plants help to keep ants away from the house even outside of their wedding flight. Plant scented herbs in pots and tubs and place them near doors and windows. The following herbs have proven themselves:
- lavender
- rosemary
- sage
- mint
- thyme
- marjoram
By the way: Scented herbs can also be dried and crushed sprinkled on the ant trails. This interrupts the path of the insects from the nest to the food and the crawfish move away from the house.
Use tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is a real all-rounder. Dilute the oil with water and apply a thin coat to window and door frames. The smell scares off the flying ants and they run away.
Attention: Test the smell of the tea tree oil before use. Only if you do not find it uncomfortable should you use this trick.
Blow away ants
If you spot a swarm of flying ants in your apartment, take a blow dryer and just blow the pests away. They cannot stand the draft and flee through the open window.
Note: The flying ants are confusingly similar to the dangerous termites. However, termites are not ants. They stand out due to their light yellow to light brown color. Domestic ants, on the other hand, are much darker. A clear distinguishing feature is the ants' constricted abdomen. Termites do not have this characteristic.
Remove food sources
Sugar and carbohydrates magically attract ants. This also applies during the wedding flight. Seal all food. Do not leave ripe fruit uncovered in the apartment. When the food sources dry up, ants look for another shelter.
Attention: Do not leave food bowls for dogs or cats on the terrace or in the house. Remove them immediately after feeding. Leftover food attracts insects, mice, rats, raccoons and hedgehogs.
Put away organic bins
Bio bins near the windows are not a good idea. In addition to ants, other insects and undesirable small animals are also attracted. Make sure that you do not place the waste bins in the immediate vicinity of windows and doors.
Use vinegar cleaner
Vinegar has proven itself as a home remedy many times. The smell is only unpleasant for people at first. Ants, on the other hand, cannot stand it. Use cleaning agents that contain vinegar for cleaning. Use it to thoroughly clean your windows and doors at the beginning of May. The flying ants will avoid your apartment.
Attention: Avoid using baking powder when combating ants. This home remedy leads to an excruciating death for the insects, they literally explode.
Break the ant trails
Anyone who discovers an ant trail in the apartment has an ant nest right next to the house or even inside the house. Ant trails lead from the nest to the food source. The little crawling animals overcome this path several times a day. Interrupting the
Ant road succeeds with, for example- Baby powder
- chalk
- Package tape or painter's tape
- Lemon wedges
- Aromatic oils
Observe the behavior of the animals after you have raised the obstacles. In the best case scenario, the crawfish will move outside and look for new sources of food. Then you get rid of the flying ants too.
Fight aphids
Ants and aphids make an unusual connection. Aphids feed on the juicy leaves of our ornamental and useful plants. After ingestion, they excrete sweet honeydew. The ants love this, they literally milk the aphids in order to get to the sweet food. Balcony and indoor plants are also not immune to aphid infestation. Carefully rub the leaves of infested plants with a solution of washing-up liquid and water and destroy the aphids. When the honeydew source dries up, the ants move to another place and the wedding flight does not take place in your apartment.
Tip: Incidentally, if you plant plants that are unpopular with ants and aphids, such as lavender and rosemary, on the beds between flowers and vegetables, you can effectively prevent ants from becoming infected.
Prevent flying ants
Be vigilant. Be quick to react if you see ants around the house. If you prevent nest building in good time, flying ants will not become a problem in your home. Tight doors and windows, closed joints and cracks prevent ants, mosquitoes and other vermin from entering.
Hire a pest controller
If an unusually large number of flying ants are besieging the house, the pest controller must be used. Then professional help is required. In a few cases, the flying ants reappear in large numbers every year. Then an expert has to get to the bottom of the matter and remove the nests.
