Combat flying ants in the house and garden

Ants are usually useful creatures that make an important contribution to the ecological balance. However, there are situations in which one would prefer to avoid the presence of these insects, for example in the kitchen or near terraces.

However, flying ants, which can form in large swarms, become really unpleasant. The wings lead to a misunderstanding.

First you have to clear up a misunderstanding, because many people assume that the flying ants are a separate species. This assumption is wrong, however, since ground-dwelling ants and flying ants are one and the same animal. Most of the time, ants are known as hard-working little animals that move on the ground because they are Belonging to the Hymenoptera group, almost all ants, with the exception of larger species, can also develop wings. This happens once a year when the young queens and males have reached sexual maturity and swarm out on the so-called "nuptial flight". However, an exact time for this flight cannot be determined, as it depends on various environmental factors such as temperatures, light conditions and currents in the air, but the usual time is in the morning to midnight midsummer.

Why do insects enter living spaces at all

As long as the nuptial flight takes place outdoors, this is hardly a problem and usually you don't notice it, since the mating takes place at an altitude of 15 to 20 meters. However, it becomes a problem if the animals want to mate in the apartment or house of all places. The flying ants follow a scent trail laid by scouts, which may also lead into the apartment. This isn't intentional - the scouts get lost, plain and simple. The actual flight can last from a few hours to several days. A few hours after mating ends, the males die and the young queens return to the nest. From there they move out and found a new state just a few meters from their home nest. At the latest, once you have experienced the flying ants, you should take countermeasures to prevent further annoyances of this kind.

Short-term and long-term control in the home

Once the animals have entered the apartment, contact poisons are of little help, since the male ants only die a few hours after mating anyway. The first measure should therefore be to trace the paths through which the ants enter. These are usually found at the connections between the doors and windows to the walls. Cracks in the masonry can also be a way through which the flying ants find a way into the apartment. Once you have found the paths, you have to interrupt them to stop the flying ants:

• A quick and inexpensive method is to sprinkle some vinegar essence on the trail.
• The smell of vinegar is extremely disturbing for ants and they resettle.
• The vinegar neutralizes the scents of the scouts and the insects lose their reference points.

Animals that have already entered can be destroyed with insect spray. While this method offers a short-term solution, long-term measures should be taken immediately to prevent re-intrusion. This consists of closing as quickly as possible the places in the masonry that could provide an entrance for the flying ants. In addition, you should equip open windows with a close-meshed fly screen.

Combating flying ants in the garden

Within closed rooms, flying ants can still be combated relatively easily or entry prevented. The situation in the garden is a little different. Flying insects can become annoying, especially near terraces and seating areas, and ensure that these areas cannot be used for some time. However, it would be a mistake not to do anything, since the "nuptial flight" serves to mate with the young queens, each of which establishes a new ant colony close to the colony of origin. In this way, numerous offshoots can arise from a colony in a few years and the flying ants can become a plague. The first thing you can do is try to get rid of the ants. Since you should only use the “chemical club” in the garden when it is absolutely necessary, it is advisable to use natural means first:

• Again, vinegar essence can be the first choice.
• Alternatively, the peels of lemons, cinnamon or chili can also show the desired success.

However, it is not enough just to put them on the "roads" to the building, you also have to sprinkle the building itself with it or, in the case of vinegar essence, moisten it. If that doesn't help, then maybe relocating the entire state might be an option.

Relocate an ant colony to another location

Relocating an entire colony of ants is easier than you might think. You only need several flower pots. These are filled with wood shavings and placed on the nest with the opening facing down. After a certain time, the ants settle in the flower pots. The most important thing here is the queen, who must be in one of the pots, otherwise only the workers will be relocated and the queen will raise a new colony in the old place. You can tell that the ant queen is in one of the pots because there are pupae in it. Now you can bring the pots to a new place and put them down there. The new home of the ants must be at least 30 meters from the old accommodation, otherwise the animals will find their way back and settle down again in the old place.

Worth knowing about flying ants shortly

Flying ants are often an unexpected problem because, unlike their ground-based counterparts, they are not afraid to get in Apartments or entering rooms located on higher floors.

Flying ants are young queens and males who are preparing for their so-called "nuptial flight" or are already doing it. All sexually mature animals of a tribe swarm out from their nest at the same time in order to reproduce. The males only serve to preserve the species. The queens, however, remain alive after the flight and, under favorable circumstances, can establish a new ant colony.

The spectacle usually takes place in the great outdoors. Due to certain weather conditions or orientation problems of the animals, the mating flight can also lead into houses and apartments. If ants have their nests in cellars or ceiling spaces, they may even try to fly out of the living quarters.

Remedy against flying ants

• To combat them, sprays against flying insects or ant sprays. Such agents should always be used with caution. When using it, you should be careful not to inhale the spray yourself. It is best to leave the room immediately after use and close doors and windows. After some time (duration of exposure is usually stated on the respective packaging), ventilate the rooms thoroughly.
• In themselves are flying ants only on their nuptial flight, which is related to their mating and are actually quite harmless. But nobody wants them in the house or in the apartment, which is understandable. Areas that are particularly affected by flying ants are near a forest. After the nuptial flight, the ants shed their wings and become ordinary ants as we know them.
• So no reason to panic, it's best to just drive to the nearest supermarket or garden center and get ant spray or something else ant remedy buy. There is not much more you can do against the flying ants. But it's usually enough to get rid of them.

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