Flying ants can be a nuisance, and they are often not what you think they are.
Flying ants in your home can come from many different sources and what attracts them will depend on the type of ant.
If you know what is causing them to swarm around your home, then it’s easier to get rid of them.
In this article, we’ll talk about what causes flying ants in homes, what attracts these winged insects in our homes, how to recognize when there is an infestation outside or inside your home so that it doesn’t become an even bigger problem for you – and finally how to get rid of flying ants!
Most Common Types of Flying Ants in Homes
There are a number of different types of flying ants that can become active in homes.
There are three primary species of flying ants in the United States: pavement ants, carpenter ants, and pharaoh ants [1].
When talking about flying ants, we’re talking about queens and males, as these are the only ants in a colony that has wings.
The first two make their way into homes during mating season, while Pharaoh’s Ant enters homes looking for food and water sources other than what it has outside (such as aphids).
Also read: Do ants have wings?
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are some of the most common types of flying ants [2]. They typically live in trees and come into homes through cracks or holes on the sides, roof, etc. during mating seasons when their colonies begin to grow too big for what they can support outside.
There are also other varieties that will find ways inside during colder weather because it is getting tough for them to survive outdoors. If you notice these winged insects indoors near your woodwork, there’s a good chance you have carpenter ants living nearby!
Pharaoh Ants
Pharaoh ants are among the smallest of all ant species. They measure only about one millimeter long and have four to six nodes on their abdomen. Pharaoh ants prefer warm conditions so they tend to look for homes in warmer climates. They also like areas with sources of water, such as potted plants or sinks where dishes can be washed.
Pharaoh Ants will eat just about anything including meats, sweets, honeydew (a sweet substance that some insects produce), bread crumbs, soft drinks, and even dead animals! These tiny pests may not seem like much but what makes them dangerous is how quickly they breed.
What Attracts Flying Ants in Homes?
Flying ants are attracted to food sources, water sources, and warmth. Many types of flying ants prefer sweet things like honey or fruits so they may be drawn towards your lemonade or fruit bowl sitting out on the counter.
Water can also attract them outside by pet dishes, pools, birdbaths, etc. If you have ever seen what looks like a trail of sawdust near an entrance into your home that is likely where the ant colony travels from their nest to your home.
Read more on our big list about what attracts ants.
Light Bulbs
The light bulbs in your home serve a number of purposes. They provide illumination, reduce energy costs by using less electricity to produce the same amount of light as other types of lighting and last much longer than traditional incandescent lights.
But what happens when you have flying ants near a light bulb?
The simple answer is that they are attracted to it because its bright light mimics what’s found outdoors under the sun during daytime hours.
Sweet Foods
A lot of ants are attracted to foods that contain sugar, so what you eat can affect how many flying ants you see in your house. Ants also carry the food they find back to their nests where it is shared with other members of the colony or stored as honeydew for later use.
Nesting in high places
Flying ants love to make their nests in high places. Slats and crevices on the sides of walls, floor joists, and beams inside attics and crawl spaces are very common areas for flying ants to live.
Flying ants also like corners where two surfaces fit together tightly with no gap between them. They use this area as a place to build nests so they can more easily enter your home without being detected by you or other residents of the building.
How to Get Rid of Flying Ants in Your Home?
Flying ants can be annoying and very hard to get rid of. First of all, you need to identify why they’re getting into your home. That’ll make it easier to get rid of them.
You can use both chemicals or natural repellents against ants, depending on what you prefer.
Sometimes, you can’t do anything to get rid of ants. If they keep showing up, you might have to call an exterminator.
There are several types of flying ants that you may encounter such as pharaoh ant, carpenter ant, pavement ant, odorous house ant, or thief ant. All these different species will cause problems with the possibility of infesting homes and buildings.
Read more: How to get rid of flying ants
Common Methods
There are a number of things you can do to get rid of flying ants in your home.
The first thing is to eliminate what attracts them such as food and water sources, light, or warmth. You might also want to consider changing what attracts other types of pests because this could be the reason that flying ants keep coming back.
If you cannot seem to figure out what is attracting them, try using an indoor fly trap kit. This can help with any common household flies and flying ants and kill them before they make their way indoors where they will reproduce faster than ever before!
A popular solution is to use ant repellant. There are a lot of options for this. Some might not work for you, so make sure to test them out, if this is the case.
Another option would be getting some sticky tape and putting it up around doors or window sills where there might be openings for these winged creatures.
Natural Methods
If you want to get rid of ants without using any chemical pesticides, you can try natural methods of getting rid of flying ants.
There are several home remedies that can help you eliminate the problem at its source and prevent it from coming back again. If an infestation is already present in your house or garden, don’t worry! You can also use organic products to kill them off quickly.
An example of a home remedy against flying ants is to fill a bottle with one part liquid soap, two parts water, and a few drops of peppermint oil. Spray this on them, which will cause them to stop flying and dying.
These ant repellents will keep crawling insects away for good while being safe for children and pets as well as beneficial for plants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Flying Ants Dangerous?
Flying ants are not dangerous. They do not bite, sting or spread disease like other insects in the home might. Winged ants fly into homes because they’re looking for food and water to colonize their nests with. Once that happens, you will start seeing them everywhere indoors if what is attracting flying ants in your home isn’t dealt with immediately.
Can Flying Ants Damage Your Home?
Flying ants can cause significant damage to your home. They will lay eggs inside of cracks and crevices, which makes it difficult for homeowners to get them out. Flying ants also carry diseases that you do not want in your house or around children or pets. However, there are effective ways that you can eliminate these pests without causing too much harm to yourself or others living with you.
