How to tackle flying ants

"Flying ants can be a real problem, and the first step in getting rid of them is finding out where they are nesting and using baits to kill them."

Getting rid of flying ants can be a real problem. Number one because they do fly, which means they're up in the air and they can land just about everywhere. Wherever the wind blows, that's were you are going to see the flying ants.

Flying ants are the secondary reproductives of an ant colony, so killing them won't solve the problem on its own. The ones doing the damage are still there, so you have to identify what type of ant it is first then find out where they're nesting, and then you can get rid of them.

Check out our top tips below to tackle flying ants:

Spray the ants with dishwashing soap

Dishwashing soap is an effective agent against flying ants as it attaches to their bodies and dehydrates them. Get yourself a spray bottle to catch the little creatures in flight and mix two generous squirts of dish washing liquid with water.

Catch them with sticky tape

Lure the little things in with a food source and place some tape as close as possible with the sticky side up.

Attack ants with an artificial sweetener

Certain types of sweeteners are very toxic for ants. For example, if you mix in the sweetener with apple juice, it forms a viscous paste that the ants will carry back to the colony. Once consumed there, it will kill off a portion of their population.

Use insecticidal powder

An insecticidal lacquer can be applied around door thresholds or wall and floor junctions where ants run, or spray these areas with an insecticidal aerosol which is labelled for this use.

Place tin cans over the ant hill 

This should be done in the morning. As it heats up, the ants take their eggs up into the can. In the afternoon slide a piece of cardboard under each can, and remove and dispose of the eggs. They make a nice treat for birds, especially chickens.

Pour boiling water into the ant hill

Once you have located the ant hill, pour boiling water over it. This should kill most of the ants and detract other ones from coming back.

Flying ants are most common when a spell of wet weather is followed closely by hot humid weather and is associated with ants reproducing.
Source