Dealing with an infestation of winged ant invaders burrowing into your property’s walls? Don’t panic just yet, as there are ways to evict these tiny squatters. We’re going to guide you through the recon tactics for pinpointing their entry points, the strategic baiting plans to draw them out into the open and the targeted insecticide strikes to wipe out the entire colony.
By the time we’re done, you’ll be executing a full-scale ant eradication with the swift, meticulous efficiency of a Navy SEAL team. Let’s get started.
Understanding the problem
Flying ants are unfertilised queen ants who are leaving the nest to mate and ultimately to set up their own colonies somewhere new – normally far away from their home. If you have flying ants emerging from the walls in your building, it means there is an ant colony there. This ant colony will consist of a queen ant and many worker ants, as well as new queen ants and drones.
Once a year the queen lays eggs that hatch into young winged queen ants. These winged queens are not welcome to stay with their mother, so they must leave when the time is right. The queen will also lay unfertilized eggs, which will hatch into winged drone ants (males).
Flying ant activity happens all year round in warm calm weather, but July tends to be the epicentre. Usually there are just a handful of days throughout July where particularly large swarms of winged drone and young queen ants abandon their home in search of a mate from another colony.
Black ants do not sting or bite so you don’t need to worry. Black ants are the most common flying ants, although you may also come across red flying ants that do sting.
Winged ants are only interested in mating. They do not want food.
Should I get rid of flying ants in my walls?
If flying ants are coming out of your walls, there is an ant colony in your wall. However, if you didn’t notice that there was a colony there before you saw the flying ants, then consider how big of a problem this is, bearing in mind that the flying ants phase is relatively short.
Locating the base
First things first—we need to locate the ant’s base of operations. Flying ants don’t just randomly appear in your walls. There’s a full-blown colony set up somewhere, most likely in a humid area of woodwork where the queen has decided to set up shop. If you are seeing flying ants, it means you have a colony that is at least one year old.
You need to trace back to see where the flying ants are coming from. Presumably, there’s a small hole in one of your walls. Once you find the hole, you can aim to leave to toxic treats for the ants outside of the hole.
The flying ants won’t be interested in any ant bait you leave outside, but certainly, the worker ants (without wings) from the colony will be, since it’s their job to collect food.
How to get rid of flying ants in a wall cavity
When it comes to wiping out these renegade ant colonies embedded in your walls, you’ll need to deploy some serious firepower in the form of targeted insecticidal baits. The key is using the ants’ own biology against them with a potent, slow-acting poison that the workers will unwittingly carry back to the nest and feed to the entire population, including the queen ant herself.
Once the queen is gone she won’t lay anymore eggs and the colony will meet its demise.
Several brand name bait products have been rigorously tested and approved for indoor ant infestations. Look for ones containing active ingredients like hydramethylnon, abamectin or fipronil. These are the thermobaric bombs of the ant-killing world. Read the product labels carefully and apply the bait according to directions, avoiding any potential exposure for humans or pets.
The baits typically come in pre-filled disposable traps that you can place near the identified entry points into the wall cavity. The foraging worker ants will be lured in by the sugary sweet liquid or gel formulas and bring portions back to share with the colony. Within a few days to a couple of weeks, the entire population should gradually be eliminated through this Trojan horse-style tactic.
No coming back for the ants
With the insecticidal baits deployed to take down the main colony, it’s time to cut off any potential reinforcements. Even after the queen is assassinated, new ant colonies might decide that your walls are the perfect place for a new colony.
Locate every potential entry point that the ants used to initially enter the wall cavity. This includes any
- Cracks or crevices in the exterior siding
- Gaps around utility pipes or wiring conduits
- Crumbling sections in the home’s foundation.
Seal up all these spots with a quality caulk or expandable spray foam to physically block any more ants from gaining access. Then tend to any moisture issues that may have drawn the colony there in the first place.
Expert help
Merlin Environmental can solve any ant problem for any business in the UK or Ireland as we have full national coverage. We specialise in commercial pest solutions. Get in touch.
