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All About Flying Ants

How to identify and three ways to remove carpenter ants from your home

How to Get Rid of Flying Ants In The Home

The Spruce

Flying ants or carpenter ants in your home in the winter are especially problematic because ants only fly or develop wings when they are mature enough to breed. Read on to learn how to get rid of ants that fly since they might be getting ready to make nests and expand their colony.

What Is a Flying Ant?

Otherwise known as alates, flying ants are sexually mature ants. Carpenter ants are a common flying ant.

8 Ways to Differentiate Between Carpenter Ants and Termites

Ants vs Termites: How to Identify Them

Carpenter ants are common across the United States but are often confused with termites. Some carpenter ants are much larger than termites, but others are smaller, so size is not a way to determine species.

So, how do you know if it is a termite or an ant? These are the characteristics of a carpenter ant. Look for:

  • Dark-colored bodies
  • Narrow waists
  • Elbowed (bent) antennae
  • Hind wings, which are shorter than front wings

Carpenter ants are more likely to be seen in the open than termites. Termites need moisture to survive and stay near their water source, or they will die. Carpenters do not have that limitation and will be seen in the open more, especially while foraging for food.

While carpenter ants and termites can be very destructive to homes, the two species are different because termites eat the wood they tunnel in, while carpenter ants only nest in it and do not eat it. Another difference between carpenter ants and termites is the frass (wood dust, soil, and insect parts) often found beneath openings to the carpenter ants' nest.

flying termites
​The Spruce / K. Dave 

Why Do Ants Fly?

Whether the winged ant you see is a carpenter ant or a termite, the wings mean that the insect is a reproductive male or queen—the only members of an ant colony that can reproduce. Ants and termites swarm to mate, then the males die, having done their duty, and the queens drop their wings to find a nesting site.

Sometimes, a winged ant seen indoors during the summer may mean that it flew in from outside. It will likely die before it can find a suitable nesting site, and no pest control is needed for the ant. However, because the ants are not active outdoors in the winter, a flying ant seen indoors most likely means that the ants are nesting within the structure.

It is rare for termites to swarm in the winter, but they have been known to do so in warm areas of infested buildings. So, the sudden appearance of swarming ants or termites in flight is one of the first signs of indoor infestation.

How To Get Rid of Carpenter Ants

While carpenter ants may nest in dry wood, they are more likely to be found in wet, damp, or rotting wood. The first step is to repair or replace the rotted wood to remove the nest and help prevent future infestation.

The next step is using an insecticide to control and kill ants that have built their nest indoors.

  • Dust: One option is insecticidal dust formulated for carpenter ants and indoor household use. This can be injected into the area where the ants nest. If it is difficult to get to the area, small holes may need to be drilled to inject dust.
  • Bait: Another option is to use bait. Although baits are much slower-acting, they can be easier and safer. The foraging ants will pick up the bait and carry it back to the colony and queen to eliminate the entire colony. Because ant baits sold in stores are often labeled for many different ants, always read the label to be sure it is formulated for carpenter ants and follow all label directions.
  • Spray: Insecticide sprays will have little impact on foraging ants because the spray will kill only those foraging for food. But if the ants have flown indoors from outside, sprays can provide relief from these occasional invaders.

Warning

When using any insecticide, it is essential and required by law to read and follow all label directions. Most are toxic.

spraying for ants
​The Spruce / K. Dave

When to Call a Professional

If your flying ant or termite situation is out of control, you may need more powerful insecticides, like a commercial-strength solution.

An ant exterminator can cost $80 to $500 and it is usually easier to treat for ants than a termite infestation. A termite exterminator can cost more—from $3 to $20 per linear foot, ranging from $250 to $1,000—and may require fumigation and whole-home treatment.

FAQ
  • Are flying ants harmful?

    Flying ants do not bite but can burrow into wood structures and weaken the wood's integrity. So, while they might not harm humans, they can damage property.

  • Where do flying ants commonly make their nests?

    Flying ants prefer to make their nests near a water source. If it's a carpenter ant, they're attracted to rotting wood, houses, sheds, and lumber piles for making their nests.

  • Are flying ants the same thing as termites?

    Flying ants and termites are insects from different orders. Ants, like wasps and bees, belong to the Hymenoptera order. Meanwhile, termites, like cockroaches, belong to the Blattodea order.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. "Life Cycle." Harvard Forest.

  2. Hahn, Jeffrey and Stephen Kells. Carpenter ants. University of Minnesota Extension.

  3. "Carpenter Ants." University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment.

  4. "Pests in Gardens and Landscapes." Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California.

  5. Flying ants vs. termites. What's the difference? Angi.