Gardening Advice: Getting rid of flying ants

Quick Tips to Get Rid of Flying Ants

By Dawn Reno Langley

Most ants crawl, but some varieties fly, and those might get into your hair, your food, and your trash, but some are far more damaging than irritating. Getting rid of the pesky creatures is fairly easy if you know how—and if you can determine what type of flying ants you have.

Types of Flying Ants

Before you bring out the pesticide spray to get rid of those pesky flying ants, take a closer look to determine what type of bugs you have. According to University of Florida entomologists, several characteristics make it easy to distinguish termites from flying ants. Because there are dozens of types of carpenter ants, some of which fly, gardeners and home owners should look at the features that are easiest to identify. The University of California’s Integrated Pest Management Program offers excellent graphics of the differences between termites and ants, which include:

·        Wings:  Termite’s wings are equal length; flying ants wings are longer in the front and the rear set of wings is half the size.

·        Waists:  Ants have a constricted waist and termites have a broad waist.

·        Color:  Ants are dark; termites are a lighter color.

Where They Live

Ants nest in debris or foliage around a building’s foundation, but they also can build nests in small cracks or holes anywhere in a building. If you find them inside your home, it is a good idea to determine whether the flying creatures you see are, indeed, flying ants or whether they are termites. Carpenter ants damage wood structures almost as effectively as termites, and the easiest way to see whether your building is home to them is to scrutinize the area around your siding and walls for little trails of sawdust.  Those trails indicate there’s a nest nearby.  Whether it’s a nest of termites or carpenter ants, you must be proactive.

When You Find Them

If you discover flying ants during the summertime, there’s a good chance they just happened to get inside because your house/building is more open during that season. If it’s wintertime, chances are they’ve nested in your building. Flying ants are not active in the winter. Termites tend to swarm around rotting or moist wood, and if you see them inside, you might have an infestation. If you determine you have termites, call a pest control company. If you have flying ants, you can take steps to handle the infestation yourself.

Protect Your Garden and Buildings

1.      Trim bushes and low shrubs that hug the foundation of your building.

2.      Keep mulch at least a foot away from siding.

3.      If possible, create a cement barrier at the base of your building.

4.      When building fences or decks, choose a termite-resistant material.

5.      Keep structures dry and well-ventilated.

6.      Remove piles of wood or debris from the area.

7.      Repair any cracks or holes in your building.

Removing the Ants/Termites

·        Contact a professional termite control company if you suspect you have a termite infestation. They are licensed to use the correct pesticide to rid your building of the damaging pests.

·        Use over-the-counter pesticide baits if you have flying ants in your garden/building.

·        Make a natural pesticide bait with borax and sugar.  Mix evenly and leave a small dish of the mixture near the nest. Clean frequently.

·        Be careful to follow instructions.

·        Peppermint spray is a natural remedy for flying ants. Mix peppermint oil (purchase at your local natural food store) with dish detergent and water in a spray bottle.  (One part soap, two parts water, several drops of peppermint oil).  Shake well and spray.

·        Spray dish soap on the ants. The heaviness of the soap weights down their wings, bringing them to the ground where they will die.

·        Pesticide sprays tend to scatter ants, thus bait traps are more effective.

·        A bug zapper works on most flying insects by luring the bugs into it, then electrocuting them.

·        Carpenter ants are stubborn and may not succumb to baits. Check with a professional if the bait traps don’t appear to be successful.

Today's Poem -- About Ants

Ants

Ravi Shankar

One is never alone. Saltwater taffy colored 
beach blanket spread on a dirt outcropping 
pocked with movement. Pell-mell tunneling,  

black specks the specter of beard hairs swarm, 
disappear, emerge, twitch, reverse course 
to forage along my shin, painting pathways 

with invisible pheromones that others take 
up in ceaseless streams. Ordered disarray, 
wingless expansionists form a colony mind, 

no sense of self outside the nest, expending 
summer to prepare for winter, droning on
through midday heat. I watch, repose, alone.