10 Natural Ways to Get rid of Flying Ants [Homemade Traps & Repellents]
Flying ants, also known as alates are adult ants that have reached sexual maturity. Not all ants in a colony will grow wings, but the ones that do generally fly out to create new colonies.
Flying ants are typically seen during spring and summer since their swarming behavior is triggered by the weather. While they are generally harmless, they can be a huge nuisance.
It is important to remember that all species of ants can grow wings, but some species of ants are more harmful than others. Thankfully, it is easy to get rid of flying ants from your home using natural methods, regardless of the species.
How To Get Rid of Flying Ants Naturally?
Below are 10 effective ways to kill flying ants naturally. These methods include traps using household items, homemade sticky traps, natural repellents, several other natural remedies, and homemade solutions to get rid of flying ants naturally.
1. Soapy Water
Soapy water is commonly used for killing a variety of insects including flying ants.
It is very simple to use; simply spray the mixture directly on the ants to kill them.
It is quite effective at getting rid of smaller and bigger swarms of flying ants from your home or outside.
Required Items
- Dish soap
- Water
- Spray bottle
Step by Step Process
- In a spray bottle add 1 cup of water to 1 teaspoon of dish soap.
- Close the bottle and shake it to mix the soap and water. Let the bubbles settle down for a few minutes before using them.
- Spray the mixture directly on the flying ants inside or outside the home. The ants will die within a few minutes after coming in contact with the liquid.
- Wipe down the surface to clean up the soapy water after the process.
Precautions
Always make sure to clean up the area along with the dead ants after using the spray to make sure that other ants don’t follow them.
2. Peppermint spray
Peppermint oil is commonly used in many insecticides because it can effectively repel and kill various insects including flying ants.
Moreover, when you use peppermint spray, the pheromone trail left by the ants is masked, so no more ants can follow them.
It is very easy to make peppermint spray at home and you can use it both inside and outside the home.
Required Items
- Peppermint concentrate
- Water
- Dish soap
- Spray bottle
Step by Step Process
- Combine 1 cup of water with 2 teaspoons of peppermint concentrate in a spray bottle. Add a few drops of dish soap into the liquid.
- Close the bottle and shake it well to mix the contents of the bottle.
- Spray the mixture directly on the swarm of flying ants. The ants will fly away or die.
- Discard any dead ants, as they can easily attract other flying ants.
- You can also spray the mixture in the areas where you typically see a lot of flying ants to prevent them.
Precautions
This method is only effective against smaller infestations. For bigger infestations, you should always use it along with other methods.
3. Vinegar spray
Vinegar is an acid that can kill various insects on contact including flying ants.
Moreover, the strong smell of vinegar will repel the ants and cover up any pheromone trail left by any previous ants.
It is very easy to make vinegar spray at home using simple kitchen ingredients.
Required Items
- White vinegar
- Water
- Spray bottle
Step by Step Process
- In a spray bottle, pour ½ cup of vinegar and ½ cup of water, and mix them thoroughly.
- Spray the mixture directly on a swarm or individual flying ants. Any flying ant that comes in contact with the spray will die soon afterward.
- Discard the dead ants as soon as possible to avoid attracting other ants to them.
- You can also use the mixture to clean your home. This will help repel the ants.
Precautions
The spray must come in contact with the ants to be able to kill them.
4. Borax trap
Borax is commonly used as a laundry additive, but it also works great as an insect killer.
Borax is toxic to flying ants, so if they consume it, they will die. So, you can mix it into sugar to make a flying ant trap.
It is a highly effective method for getting rid of flying ants since the ants will fly towards the trap themselves.
Required Items
- Borax powder
- Sugar
- Water
- Paper plates
Step by Step Process
- Pour ½ cup of water with ¼ cup of sugar into a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Continue boiling the mixture till it becomes golden yellow.
- Once the mixture cools down a bit, add 2 teaspoons of borax powder into it and mix it thoroughly until all the crystals dissolve.
- Put a few teaspoons of the mixture on each paper plate and lay them out in the areas with the most flying ants.
- The flying ants will gather around the sugar water. Once they eat the mixture, they will be poisoned and they will die soon afterward.
Precautions
Borax is toxic to both humans and pets, so you should keep your pets and children away from the trap area to avoid accidental poisoning.
5. Homemade flying ant trap using baking soda
Baking soda is commonly used for baking, but it is also extremely useful for killing flying ants. When ants consume baking soda, the powder will dehydrate them, which will eventually kill them.
However, you must mix the baking soda with sugar crystals to encourage the flying ants to eat it. This trapping method is effective against a small infestation, but it may not be great for large swarms.
Required Items
- Baking soda
- Sugar
- Paper plates
Step by Step Process
- On a paper plate, add 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar.
- Mix the two powders together thoroughly before placing the plate in an area with lots of flying ants.
- When the flying ants eat the powder mixture, they will dehydrate and die within a few hours. They will also carry the powder back to the nest, which will help kill more ants.
- You can repeat the process again after a week or so if you continue noticing flying ants.
Precautions
This method is not as effective as other traps, so you can use this method for smaller infestations.
6. Homemade Sticky trap for Flying ants
Sticky traps are a great option for catching any type of flying insect including flying ants.
Yellow sticky traps usually contain pheromones that attract flying ants, so they will fly towards the trap and get stuck.
This method is great for smaller infestations, but it is not recommended for bigger swarms.
Required Items
- Yellow sticky trap
- Sugar crystals
Step by Step Process
- Start by identifying the areas that have the most flying ants inside or outside the home.
- Open the traps and hang them up in those areas where flying ants are most active.
- You can stick a few sugar crystals on the sticky traps if you want, but it is optional.
- Come back after 24 hours to check on the traps. If they have enough flying ants stuck to them, you can discard them.
Precautions
This method may attract more flying ants into your home, so it’s best to use the traps outside the window.
7. Vacuum
One of the most effective ways to get rid of flying ants is by vacuuming them up. Although flying ants can fly away fast, it is still quite easy to catch them with a handheld vacuum.
Once you catch the ants, you must discard them far away from your home to prevent other ants from following them. This method is great for smaller and bigger infestations.
Required Items
Step by Step Process
- Start by identifying the areas where the ants are swarming.
- Use a handheld vacuum cleaner to suck up all the flying ants from the area.
- Put the contents of the vacuum cleaner into a garbage bag and discard it far away. Doing so will prevent other ants from following the scent of the dead ants.
- You can repeat the process again until all the ants are gone.
Precautions
You must discard the ants far away from your home to ensure that they don’t come back.
8. Diatomaceous earth powder
Diatomaceous earth powder has microscopic shards which pierce the skin of any soft-bodied insect and dehydrate them to death.
It is highly effective against flying ants when applied properly.
You can use an applicator to easily apply the powder onto the flying ants.
Required Items
- Diatomaceous earth powder
- Applicator
Step by Step Process
- Start by identifying the areas where the flying ants are swarming.
- Use an applicator to apply the diatomaceous earth powder directly over the flying ants.
- You can also apply the powder on the surfaces where you see the most flying ants.
- When the flying ants sit or walk over the powder, they will be coated in the powder, which will kill them by dehydrating them.
Precautions
The diatomaceous earth powder must come in contact with the ants for it to work properly. So you may need multiple applications to eradicate flying ants.
9. Bug Zapper
Electric bug zappers do a great job of getting rid of flying ants because flying ants are often attracted to bright UV light.
It’s always best to use this method during the night when the UV light is visible.
This method is usually effective against smaller infestations, but it can be used both inside and outside the home.
Required Items
Step by Step Process
- Identify the areas where you see the most flying ants inside or outside your home.
- Switch on the electric bug zapper and place it in that area.
- The flying ants will swarm around the zapper and die when they try to enter it. You can discard the dead ants after a few hours and set the bug zapper out again if needed.
Precautions
Big zappers can often attract other insects alongside flying ants. So it’s best to use this method outside or in a closed room, where the infestation is most active.
10. Boiling Water natural repellent for flying ants
Flying ants build ant hills just like any other ants. So, you can follow them back to their ant hill and destroy the colony altogether.
One of the simplest ways to destroy an ant colony is by pouring boiling hot water over it.
It takes only a few minutes, but it kills almost all the ants in one go.
Required Items
- Water
- Kitchen Gloves
Step by Step Process
- When you notice a flying ant, you can follow its trail to find its ant hill. The colony may live inside wood piles or underground.
- Boil a gallon of water in a saucepan. Use kitchen mitts to carry the hot water to the ant colony.
- Pour the hot water directly over the colony. Spread it over the entire area until all the ants are dead.
Precautions
Hot water can cause serious injury to you or any pets, so always take necessary precautions to protect yourself while handling it.
Natural Remedies to Prevent Flying Ants
1. Seal any entry points
Ants can crawl through cracks and crevices in your home, but flying ants can enter through open spaces like windows and doors.
So it is very important to seal off any entry points to prevent flying ants. So if there is a flying ant problem in your home, you should close off any windows and doors when you don’t need them.
Alternatively, you can install mesh screens to prevent the ants from flying inside. You can also seal up any cracks and holes in your home using caulk.
2. Clean your home thoroughly
One of the main things that attract flying ants into your home is food sources. If there are a lot of food scraps, open containers, or food waste inside or outside your home, it can easily attract flying ants.
So, always make sure to store your food in air-tight containers and clean up any food scraps from your home. You should also consider using covered dustbins both inside and outside the home to keep the flying ants out of your property.
3. Spray Lemon oil
Flying ants leave pheromone trails which help other ants find them more easily. So, if you see one or two flying ants in your home, there is a high chance that more of them will follow. The best way to prevent them is by using an essential oil spray like lemon spray.
The strong lemon scent will cover the pheromone trails left by the ants, so other ants cannot follow them inside your home. You can spray the mixture throughout your house to prevent flying ants.
4. Remove any potential nesting spots
Different species of ants like to nest in different areas, so it is important to identify the species before you get into action.
However, as a general rule, it’s always best to avoid clutter inside or outside your home, as they can easily become flying ant nests. They also like to nest in wood piles, so it’s a good idea to remove any woodpiles if you don’t need them.
Final Words:
Flying ants are generally considered not harmful since their main aim is reproduction. However, depending on the species, they could be harmful to you or your home.
For example, if you have flying carpenter ants in your home, they could eat away at your furniture and destroy them. Another nuisance species are black ants since they regularly attack food items. Flying red ants are also considered dangerous since their sting can cause blisters.
Thankfully, there are many natural ways to prevent and kill flying ants in your home. So, if you find any flying ants, you can effectively get rid of them using the natural methods mentioned in this article.
