Flying ant day is upon us once more – and if, like most people, they make you feel very icky, there’s probably a very effective way to get rid of them sitting in your kitchen.
So, first up, you should know that there are usually several flying ant days each year. So if you think you’ve seen the last of them for now – you’re wrong.
These ants, also known as swarmers or alates, may not pose any threat to humans but can be infuriating, buzzing all around your face, hands, head...
Their nests, usually found in the garden, can be home to up to 15,000 worker ants. The flying ones are made up of males and virgin queens (which can be up to 15mm long), who exist only to start a new colony.
When you see them, they’re all looking to breed. That’s why they appear en masse, because it helps them find a mate from another colony while finding safety in numbers from predators. Once they mated with several males, queens chew off their wings and find a new home for their eggs. The males, uh, die after a week, (max).
The Natural History Museum explains that the flying ants usually appear when the weather starts to get warm, between June and September, and when it’s not too windy.
Obviously, you can prevent them coming into your home by keeping kitchen surfaces clean, sealing bins, cleaning floors to remove ant trails.
But if they’ve already popped up, try a homemade remedy of a few drops of peppermint oil with two parts of water or one part dish soap and simply spray it at your enemies (the ants, not just anyone).
Peppermint is a natural ant repellent because the smell is similar to a predator’s and suffocates them, according to Forbes, while the soap dehydrates them.
If you don’t have peppermint oil, you can use tea tree, cinnamon, clove, cedarwood or patchouli oils to help oust the pests.
Not everyone agrees that soap is the best means to get rid of the insects, though.
This viral TikTok from May suggests using salt and toothpaste with warm water to get rid of ants.
US-based account @goin1836 who goes by the name Mr Rice – with more than a million followers – claims to share “grandma wisdom”.
He suggests creating a solution of warm water, toothpaste and salt to rid yourself of ants instead.
Alternatively, it might be possible hoover up the pests – although that’s a lot of work and vigilance on your part. You could also use sticky fly traps if you’re able to buy some from a nearby store.
If you’re unlucky enough to locate the ants’ nest on your property, you can pour boiling water on it, killing the insects and urging others not to return, or put tin cans over the nest to heat their home up and forcing them to move on.
Of course, ants are actually part of the food chain and our ecosystem, offering nutrients to seagulls and birds, and their tunnelling improves soil quality – so don’t go too mad with that homemade spray...