Article: There are a variety of commercial bug poisons you can use against ants of all varieties, and any ant spray should be effective against flying ants. To get to the ants mid-flight, choose an aerosol variety with an easy-to-direct spout. Always follow the label instructions to prevent accidental and potentially hazardous misuse. Never direct aerosol poisons at any other person or animal in your household. Make sure that the poison you use is safe to use indoors if you plan on killing flying ants indoors. Be sure to verify that the aerosol you plan to use is legal in your area. Peppermint oil kills flying ants via suffocation. You can mix peppermint oil with water and dish soap in a spray bottle to create your own natural insecticide spray. Combine one part liquid soap and with two parts water in a spray bottle, then add several drops of peppermint essential oil. Mix well to combine. Spray this solution on any flying ants you see, either at rest or in flight. Dish soap alone is effective against flying ants since it sticks to the ants' bodies and dehydrates them, causing death. To make a solution that you can easily use to attack flying ants, dilute the dish soap with water inside a standard spray bottle. Fill a bottle with water and add a few squirts of liquid dish soap. Mix well so that the soap is evenly distributed throughout the water. Spray winged ants in flight or at rest. Diatomaceous earth works against ants by causing dehydration and death. Lay a perimeter around potential food sources. If the ant steps into it, its body will be pierced by the small, jagged granules. The ant will eventually die from these wounds. Use food grade diatomaceous earth so that it is safer to use around kids and pets. Sprinkle the DE in any area you expect to find ants. The closer it is to a food source, the better, since flying ants are more likely to land at a spot directly next to the food rather than a spot further away. Do not wet the DE. It should be kept dry so that the sharp granules work as effectively as possible. Since the ants have to cross into the DE directly, there is no guarantee that it will be effective against flying ants, since flying ants might find a way to access the food source without crawling over the DE surrounding it. As a powerful ant killer, though, you may still find DE worth trying. An electric bug zapper works well against many different types of flying insects, and flying ants are no exception. Hang the bug zapper in an area you typically catch flying ants in and wait for the device to take care of the problem for you. When hanging bug zappers, place them in open areas that insects can fly into easily. It is also important to place them out of the reach of pets or children. While the electricity produced by the bug zapper is not usually enough to cause any severe harm to larger pets, like dogs and cats, or to most children, the shock produced can still be painful. The bug zapper itself should lure the flying ants toward it. Follow the instructions carefully to avoid using the bug zapper in a potentially hazardous way. Lay a perimeter of tape around potential food sources. When the ants land on the tape, they will get stuck and will be unable to fly away. In order for this to be effective, you need to place the sticky side of the tape up and position it as close to the food source as possible. Flying ants are less likely to land on the tape if it is not directly beside the food source. Since flying ants travel by flying instead of crawling, this treatment is not always the most effective. After all, you cannot guarantee that the flying ants will land on the tape since, technically, there is some chance that they can fly around it. Nonetheless, as a non-toxic, inexpensive option, it may still be worth a try.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Use a commercial aerosol. Make a natural peppermint spray. Spray the ants with dish soap. Lay out some diatomaceous earth. Invest in a bug zapper. Trap ants with tape.