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Although winged ants can be very annoying, they are not pests, quite the opposite. It becomes particularly unpleasant when they penetrate into the house. Then good advice is expensive.

In a nutshell

  • Flying ants are normal ants and not a species of their own
  • Wings are only worn by mature males and future queens on their nuptial flight
  • Wedding flight is in May and usually lasts two to three days
  • After that, the males die and the females lose their wings
  • Flying ants are particularly problematic indoors, less so outdoors

Drive flying ants out of the house

Everyone has probably had them in their home, normal ants. They have a fondness for sweets and meat products. Once inside, they emit scents, which attracts even more ants. While ordinary ants can sometimes cause damage on or in the house, they are just annoying on their nuptial flight. In many cases, however, the problem solves itself, because after two to three days they are gone again. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and you have to come up with something to get rid of them.

Find and eliminate nesting sites

The origin of all evil is undoubtedly the nest, this is where infatuation begins. Consequently, it makes sense to track down and then remove the nesting sites.

Source: Patrick_K59, Flying Ant (15665490803), edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0
  • Nest sites are often laid out in rotten wood
  • Or in leaky and slightly damp places in and around the house
  • Nest at the end of the ant trail
  • Block all possible entrances to the nest except for one escape route
  • Then lay out sticky traps
  • Alternatively catch the ants with the vacuum cleaner
  • An old nylon stocking as a tool
  • Fasten the stocking inside or on the tube of the suction cup
  • Then set the vacuum cleaner to the lowest level
  • Carefully vacuum up winged ants
  • Take off the stocking and keep it closed
  • Release animals outside, at some distance from the house

Tip: You can also try to drive flying ants out of the house with a hair dryer or a powerful fan.

Lights off with the window open

Flying ants are attracted to light and often find their way into the house. In order to take advantage of this property, you should turn off the lights in the house in the evening and set up a sufficiently large light source outdoors. Of course, the window should then be open so that the animals can follow the light and leave the house.

Fight with fragrances

Flying ants, like all ants, have a naturally sensitive sense of smell. This can be used in the expulsion. Scents that ants do not like at all are cinnamon or cinnamon oil, tea tree oil, coffee powder, grated lemon zest, herbs such as marjoram, basil, lavender or lavender oil, thyme, sage or peppermint. Lemon juice, lemon slices and vinegar are also suitable. Depending on the consistency, the leaves or oils are spread on the ant trails or the nest is sprinkled or sprayed with them. On the ant trails, these scents act as natural barriers to prevent the animals from building their nests nearby and leaving the intensely scented site.

Tip: The scent of cinnamon in powder form should dissipate relatively quickly. In contrast, cinnamon oil smells much more intensively and longer.

defensive measures in the garden

Focus on strong smells

Flying ants can also be really annoying in places in the garden. Just as in the house, you can take action against them with intense smells. In addition to the fragrances already mentioned, the leaves of lavender, juniper, fern and tomato plants are ideal here.

  • Bad-smelling liquid manure can also be used outdoors
  • Made from nettles and oregano, wormwood, peppermint or elderberry
  • Brews of garlic also effective
  • Spray or pour over ant trails and nests
  • Ideally apply in spring
  • Pour into the entrances of nests from the previous year
  • Ants often return to their homes from last year
  • Intense stench will prevent them
  • Also works in summer in freshly made nests

One home remedy with a particularly pungent odor is vinegar essence. If sprayed in multiple places along the ant trails or directly into the burrow, the odor will mask the ants' pheromone trail, leaving them disoriented. The ant nest is then usually quickly abandoned. The effect of vinegar essence lasts for several days, depending on the weather.

Tip: Ants can also be kept away with fine chalk, a thick line of chalk or baby powder. Although these home remedies cannot score with strong odors, they usually avoid their alkaline substances.

Consistently combat aphids

Aphid infestation is particularly common in the garden. As is well known, an infestation with aphids is usually accompanied by a plague of ants, because ants cherish, care for and defend these pests. The reason for this is the sweet honeydew, a waste product of the lice that attracts the ants. In order to drive them away, the aphids must be combated consistently. Since these pests primarily attack already weakened plants, it is advisable to use plant strengthening agents and make the plants more resistant. To combat aphids offer u. natural predators such as parasitic wasps, lacewings, hoverflies or ladybirds. Manure made from stinging nettle or male fern manure is particularly effective for fighting. This is how you kill two birds with one stone, you fight aphids and you can prevent flying ants at the same time.

Use nematodes for deterrence

A versatile helper in the garden are nematodes of the genus Steinernema feltiae. They can also be used in the fight against flying ants and possibly prevent the nuptial flight from occurring in the first place. These nematodes are spread directly onto the nests via the irrigation water.

relocate flying ants

If the nest is in an easily accessible place, you can also try to move them. To do this, fill a flower pot with some soil and wood shavings as nesting material. Then place it face down on the nest. If this is in danger, the ants and their brood go into the supposedly safe new dwelling. The move is usually completed after a few days. The pot can be picked up and the crawling contents can be placed in a different place.

Tip: This method of expulsion only works on paved surfaces, but not in beds or on the lawn.

Stay away from these funds

Ants with and without wings are useful helpers that perform important tasks in nature, even if we humans often find them annoying. Like all other living beings, they too have a right to exist and can feel pain. Precisely for this reason, you should definitely avoid household remedies such as baking powder, baking soda and deer horn salt as combatants. The animals absorb these agents, which then swell up in the body and cause their bodies to burst. They suffer a very painful death. Flying ants can also be repelled or kept away with other much more harmless means.

Also avoid insecticides

More or less toxic insecticides are also available on the market for almost every problem. They can easily kill ants with or without wings. But these agents can also release toxins that pose a serious health hazard to humans and other animals. They can be inhaled or ingested through contaminated fruits and vegetables. It is all the more dangerous if you use such agents in the house and there are pets or small children living there. In the garden you can u. Damage ponds or aquatic organisms living in them. It is better to use natural means of combating this, which also helps the environment.

When to consult a professional?

If all else fails and the ant population is rampant, or maybe even a dangerous species that damages wooden parts, you should consult a professional. Even if, for example, this is not accessible or only with difficulty, you should hire a specialist to combat or resettle it. However, if flying ants become a problem year after year, it is all the more important to leave the appropriate measures to experts.

Prevent a plague from flying ants

In view of the comparatively small time window between the end of hibernation and the beginning of the nuptial flight, ant nests are not immediately noticed, both in the garden and in or on the house. So it can happen that they set course for the interior of the house unnoticed. However, this can be prevented by taking appropriate measures.

House facade with damage
  • Block all access routes into the house
  • Equip windows, balcony and patio doors with fly screens
  • Seal cracks, crevices and joints in the masonry, on windows and doors
  • Both on the outside and inside walls
  • Replace old window seals if necessary
  • Keep the windows closed when the lights are on, especially during the mating season
  • Do not leave food and drinks open
  • Applies to all potential food sources
  • Always clean your dog's and cat's food bowls
  • Keep trash cans closed
  • Watch out for aphid infestation on house and garden plants
  • If present, begin eradication immediately

frequently asked Questions

How long do flying ants live?

Lifespan depends on gender. While the male animals die shortly after mating, the females have a significantly longer lifespan as queens. Depending on the ant species, they can live up to 20 years. The young queens in particular are constantly producing offspring year after year.

Why do some ants have wings and others don't?

Both male ants and the future queens develop the wings, exclusively during the mating season for the so-called nuptial flight. It only lasts a few days. After mating, the males die and the females lose their wings.

How do flying ants get into the house?

Flying ants get into the house through cracks and crevices and naturally open windows. They are usually attracted to the wide range of foods found in every household, particularly foods high in sugar and protein.

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Animals in the garden