Content:
- Why Wings?
- When Can You See Ants with Wings?
- Types of Winged Ants
- Where Do Ants Swarm?
- Are Ants with Wings Dangerous?
- Where Do All Ants Go?
- What to Do with Winged Ants in the House
- Conclusion
When it comes to flying insects that may infest the home, most people don’t think about ants. Ants are more usually spotted searching for food on the ground or walls. Although most ants are not winged, certain ants do have wings.
Flying ants, also known as alates, are ants that have reached sexual maturity. However, flying ants are only found in a small percentage of the population, and they only exist for a short period of time. When you see ants with wings, it implies a mature nest is close. This may be either outdoors or within your home.
Swarming ants, often known as ants with wings, are ants that swarm to breed and reproduce. Flying ants could be male (drones) or female (queens). Both are reproductive ants looking to mate and breed the next generation. This is to ensure the colony’s survival.
Why Wings?
At the reproductive stage, certain ant species acquire wings. These creatures are known as “alates,” and they’re on a quest to mate. Males and young queens are the most common kind of flying ants.
Fortunately, these ants are mainly concerned with breeding and finding a nest. Hence, they present little to no threat to people.
These winged ants have a “nuptial flight” or “dispersal” once a year. Usually in late spring or early summer. The ants meet up and mate in flight, resulting in enormous swarms. They find safety in numbers, and their size can help keep predators at bay.
The males die after they have mated. Fertilized females continue to scout for a suitable nesting location. Once a suitable location has been identified, the queens shed their wings. They use them as food while constructing their colonies.
Keep an eye out for the following characteristics to ensure you’re looking at an ant:
- Between the abdomen and the thorax, a confined region separates the three distinct body segments.
- Antennae with elbowed tips.
- There are six legs in total.
When Can You See Ants with Wings?
Late spring or early summer is when ants go on their mating flights. During this season, swarms of flying ants may be seen taking their nuptial flights. These ants seek safety in numbers. Ants with wings are usually seen in groups. This is because it’s more difficult for a predator to catch an entire swarm of ants.
Ants hunt for certain conditions before taking to their mating flights. Hence, you’ll often see multiple swarms at the same time.
Warm temperatures, light winds, bright sunlight, and high humidity are what they desire. After three to five days of rain, the humidity factor is usually met. Ants are likely to swarm after the rain stops and the sun shines.
You may sometimes see a few ants with wings in the spring/summer. It’s likely that one of the reproductive ants has been removed from the rest of the colony. This isn’t generally a problem. In the home, the alone male ant may die before finding a partner.
This is a bigger problem if you find ants with wings in the winter. Unless they’re breeding indoors, ants won’t go on mating flights this time of year. In the winter, winged ants are a sure sign that an infestation has taken hold in your home.
Types of Winged Ants
- Carpenter Ants
The presence of winged carpenter ants inside your home throughout the summer does not necessarily indicate the presence of a carpenter ant nest. Carpenter ants are one of the largest and most prevalent ant species.
They just nest on wood and do not eat it, unlike termites. Outdoors, they build their nests in hollow trees, old stumps, and other moist, rotting wood. The reproductive forms are winged ants. Soon after mating, they shed their wings and begin looking for a suitable nesting place.
They often enter buildings, but only a small percentage of them locate a suitable nesting place. Most winged versions perish before building a nest.
They prefer wet and preppy wood (by leaky drains and pipes, under leaky roof shingles). However, there are found in dry regions such as hollow doors and false beams when they do nest indoors. Ants in the house in the late fall, winter, and early spring are a symptom of an inside nest.
When they do decide to nest indoors, they prefer an enclosed place with moist/damp wood or a permanent baffle.
- Winged Fire Ants
Fire ants range in hue from red-brown to black and can reach a length of 1/4 inch. They make 1-foot-high nests or mounds in grassy places such as lawns and pastures. Fire ant nests, unlike most anthills, do not have a single entrance. The ants keep crawling up and down the hill.
When their colony is disrupted, fire ants become extremely aggressive. When triggered, they swarm on the perceived intruder. They bite to hold the skin firm and then sting repeatedly. Doing so they inject solenopsin, a toxic alkaloid venom. This is referred to as stinging.
The key to eliminating red fire ants is to sterilize the queen and kill the colonies from the inside out.
Where Do Ants Swarm?
Even though ants normally swarm around their nests, they will travel a short distance to reach popular meeting spots. Ants congregate near tall structures such as trees, chimneys, towers, and shrubs.
Hill topping is the term for this. Year after year, ants frequently return to the same area. As the winged ants emerge, ant aficionados may congregate to watch the hill-topping occurrence.
Are Ants with Wings Dangerous?
These massive swarms may appear menacing, but the ants are only interested in one thing: mating. Ants that fly are no more dangerous to you than ants that crawl.
If an ant species do not bite or sting, its alates will not bite or sting either. If a species of ant attacks, such as a carpenter ant, the winged carpenter ants will bite back if they feel threatened. The winged fire ants can still sting like fire ants if the ant species stings like fire ants.
It’s extremely uncommon that ants will attack or sting you while they’re flying. However, avoid any mating swarms and you should be safe. If they’re crawling, be cautious, just as you would with any other insect
Where Do all Ants Go?
Males die shortly after mating in these aggregations, their life’s mission accomplished. The fertilized female then flies around looking for a suitable nesting location.
Each ant species has its unique nesting preferences, with some preferring decaying wood and others populating pavement cracks. Unfortunately, this implies they may intrude on your personal space.
What to Do with Winged Ants in the House
If you notice a huge number of ants with wings in the house, you most likely have a nest either inside or nearby. These winged ants are trying to extend their colonies. Therefore, if they choose to nest in/near your home, you should be on the lookout for a worsening infestation.
You should hire an exterminator if you have ants with wings in the house. An expert can assist you in identifying the species and locating the nest in your home. If there isn’t currently a colony in your home, you can take precautionary actions. This is done to deter future queens from nesting there. Use deterrents such as lemon juice, cinnamon, mint, and cayenne pepper around the entrance.
Possibilities for Nesting Sites
- Dry places. This is because heavy rain could drown nests in dry areas.
- Warmth encourages ants to be more active, and ants like warm environments.
- Cool air temperatures, radiant heat can keep the ground and ants warm
- Well-draining soils are less likely to be drowned out than sandy soil. This makes it easier to dig out nest chambers. For example, under concrete sidewalks, roads, boulders, and under or in pots.
- Ants may build nests in structures. However, if they do, it’s most likely in the sunny side of the house’s outer wall or eaves.
Conclusion
The majority of ants do not have wings. Swarms of flying ants, on the other hand, are a regular sight at certain times of the year. Alates, swarmers, and reproductive are all terms used to describe these winged ants.
When winged ants are discovered inside a home, it is likely that a colony has already established itself. Any ant infestation should be treated by a pest control professional.
