Getting rid of ants

Why Do Ants Have Wings In the First Place?

Unfortunately, some ants do, actually, have the ability to fly. And as much as you want to think that seeing these winged insects at home is a big problem, the truth is that it’s a normal once a year occurrence.

Once a year the reproductive caste of male and female ants dawn wings to reproduce with other nearby colonies, This can happen with fire ants, carpenter ants (not termites), sugar ants, protein ants, and any other ant type you can think of (mostly).

Take a look at what an ant swarm actually looks like below.

At the first sign of these winged insects, the first step is to keep calm. Don’t worry—this pest issue is a common obstacle among a lot of households during the summer months.

The reproductive males and queens are the only ants which have wings. When you see these insects swarming around your home, it means that these ants are preparing to mate with another colony.

Flying Ants Vs Flying Termites

It’s important to call out that if you have swarming ants in or around your house, that yes, it does suck, but it isn’t the end of the world and won’t cause too much harm outside of a little annoyance.

The difference comes when you have flying termites ALSO swarming in or around your house. This is bad, as termites can be a source of a lot of damage to homes.

See below for an excerpt from from Texas A&M’s site outlining some of the main differences between swarming ants and swarming termites.

What If You See Flying Ants Inside Your House?

Unfortunately, if you see ants with wings INSIDE your home, it means that you have an ant colony somewhere inside your house and that the colony is trying to expand.

This is bad, and I would recommend looking into the following guides:

– Our 5 Recommended Ant Traps
– Our 5 Recommended Ant Baits
– Our 5 Recommended Ant Sprays

We also recommend gathering a few free quotes from our exterminator search tool.

It’s worth noting if you’ve never seen an ant in your home, then it is possible the the insect got in through a window or door. Just be aware in both cases!

What If You See Flying Ants Outside Your House?

Outside is where you will most likely encounter swarming ants, which is good and totally normal.

After mating, the male winged ants die while the queen sheds its wings and builds a new colony.

Why Do Ants Have Wings In the First Place?

Unfortunately, some ants do, actually, have the ability to fly. And as much as you want to think that seeing these winged insects at home is a big problem, the truth is that it’s a normal once a year occurrence.

Once a year the reproductive caste of male and female ants dawn wings to reproduce with other nearby colonies, This can happen with fire ants, carpenter ants (not termites), sugar ants, protein ants, and any other ant type you can think of (mostly).

Take a look at what an ant swarm actually looks like below.

How To Get Rid of Ants with Wings?

Ants with wings emerge during mating season. Aside from the fact that their end game is to produce more annoying pests, their presence simply means that there’s an infestation inside or around your property.

So, how you get rid of them?

Spray ‘Em as You See ‘Em

Insecticide sprays are highly effective in killing these ants upon contact.

However, this is only an advisable option if you are dealing with just a few flying ants at home. Spraying aerosol insecticide can only kill ants one by one as they fly into the mist unless theirs a residual effect.

Below are a few tips you can use to maximize your success when using an aerosol spray to take down the carpenter ants in your home.

If you have children or pets at home, make sure to buy an ant insecticide spray composed of chemicals marked for indoor use.
Spray when you have the house to yourself. If this isn’t possible, corner yourself in one spot in the house to avoid accidental contact with other family members.
To make sure that your spray is highly effective in killing ants mid-flight, purchase a spray nozzle with a wide coverage range.
If you prefer to use a milder formula, you can easily make one on your own. Simply mix water and soap with essential oils known as effective ant repellents. These include peppermint, cinnamon leaf, pine oil, and lemon juice.

How To Get Rid of Ants with Wings?

Ants with wings emerge during mating season. Aside from the fact that their end game is to produce more annoying pests, their presence simply means that there’s an infestation inside or around your property.

So, how you get rid of them?