By admin 
Flying ants are swarming ants that are trying to reproduce. Flying ants can be both Female (the queen) and male (the drone). These are reproductive ants that need to mate in order to produce the next batch of ants necessary for their colony to survive. If you spot any of these ants in your Colleyville home and want to eliminate them, contact Exterminator Services in Colleyville.
Why do some ants have wings?
Thousands-strong “swarms” of flying ants are known to come out from their colonies in the early to mid-spring and participate in “nuptial” or mating flights. Swarmers are let loose in vast numbers by a colony because very few adults survive, mating successfully and producing offspring. Most of them will either perish from a lack of food or water, or predators like birds or dragonflies will consume them.
The only time reproductive ants can fly is during the mating season, and only they have wings. The sole way that non-swarming ant species reproduce is by budding; they do not have winged individuals. This basically indicates that a queen walks out from the nest to establish a new colony, followed by trailing reproductive males.
It is important to remember that any foraging worker ant you see trailing in your kitchen or on the sidewalk will never have wings. Therefore, you can probably assume that flying ants are looking to establish a new colony if you spot them in or around your home.
Controlling Winged Ants
Locating an ant colony can help you manage and eliminate ants more effectively, which is one advantage of swarming. Ant control is at its best accomplished by baiting routes where ants have been observed and by simply applying a pesticide labeled properly to the nest.
But in general, ignore swarming ants. Flying ant control is only required if flying ants are inside the house or if they are outside causing problems. However, likely, a single ant or two got inside during mating season because they got lost. These are a few ways to manage and eliminate problems if you do have them indoors.
- Using insecticidal dust
The most effective strategy could be applying insecticide dust if the ants are making their nest indoors. It is possible to inject ant- or carpenter-ant-labeled dust designated for indoor residential use into the nesting area(s). If there is no other method to access the region, small holes might need to be drilled.
- Using perimeter spray
A perimeter treatment, which requires applying a granular or liquid pesticide to a 2- to 4-foot-wide area all around the home’s perimeter and marking the product for ant or carpenter ant control, can help restrict ants if they have nests outside and are infiltrating. Applying the product in the spring and fall involves a thorough examination of all label instructions.
- Using bait to control ant infestations
Although it will take longer to get complete control, baits can often be the most effective and safer to employ. After picking up the bait, the foraging ants will return with it to the queen and colony, eventually killing out the entire colony. Utilize only the products designated for general or carpenter ants on the label. It is not only against the law to use an insecticide on an unknown pest, but it is also unsure that a bait designed for other insects will draw carpenter ants or work effectively against them.
- Use insecticide sprays
These are ineffective against foraging ants because the spray will only kill the workers who are out in search of food; the entire colony will not be affected. But in the summer, if an ant has just flown inside, an ant-specific spray can take care of these occasional invaders.
Is there an ant species that cannot develop wings?
While army ants lack wings, a lot of ant species are capable of developing wings. In general, worker ants of all species are incapable of growing wings.