What are Flying Ants?
Flying ants are not a separate species of ants. They are simply ants at a particular stage of life — specifically, the mating stage. Not every individual ant goes through this stage. Males who go through this stage die soon after mating. Most female flying ants also die soon after mating, but a few become queen ants, losing their wings and then laying eggs for the rest of their lives to populate their colonies.
Ant colonies consist of queen ants that lay eggs and potentially thousands of worker ants that are sterile, wingless females. In ant species that reproduce sexually, after the colony is well-established, the queen ant will produce a small number of winged females and many more males. This usually occurs once a year and at the same time as in nearby ant colonies, often after several days of heavy rains.
Mating
The flying ants form various colonies then swarm around certain places in the area, usually a place of slightly higher elevation, such as a hill, tree or roof. This is sometimes referred to as hilltopping. Mating typically takes place within a single day. The males then die, and the females disperse to establish colonies or, in some rare cases, to return to their original colonies.
Establishing Colonies
Only a very small percentage of female flying ants successfully establish colonies. Those that do survive can lay eggs throughout their lives — sometimes 20 years or more — after mating only once. The queen's only purpose is to lay eggs, and the worker ants that she produces perform duties such as building the nest and bringing her food.
Ants and Termites
Flying ants are sometimes mistaken for flying termites, and the opposite also is true. Termites, however, can be harmful to houses and other structures and are considered pests. Flying ants usually are more of a nuisance than harmful, although they might damage plants during their few days of infestation.
A person can tell the difference between a flying ant and a flying termite by looking closely at them. A flying ant has three distinct body parts, including a small thorax between its head and abdomen, but a flying termite has only a head and a main body. A flying ant also has bent antennae and two sizes of wing pairs. A termite's antennae are straight, and its wing pairs are the same size.
AS FEATURED ON:
AS FEATURED ON:
-
![A flying ant.]()
By: Henrik LarssonA flying ant. -
![Flying termites can be difficult to remove from homes.]()
By: lirtlonFlying termites can be difficult to remove from homes.
Discussion Comments
I'm in NW Lower Michigan, and the ants started swarming about a week ago. Seems to be peaking right now. Just took a walk through an open meadow and saw 30 to 40 ant hills along the path with winged ants bustling around, and the air is filled with them. Seems to be two different species swarming: A medium sized reddish brown variety, and a tiny black one as well.
I have lived in the high desert southwest (about 4000 feet) since 1995 and have had flying ants every temperate evening since. Others here say they used to but don't now. Perhaps my living on the side of a mountain has something to do with it? The anatomy match is a 100 percent probability of it being a flying ant. How large do they generally get?
I just sprayed a bunch around my mailbox and newspaper. At first I feared they were termites as the post under is cracking. Thanks to this article and a magnifying glass, I was able to ID them as ants. There were hundreds there, but the elevation note adds up as it was probably the best spot near the highway. I'm not sure of their eyesight, but the bright white mailbox may have helped.
Flying ants come in when the lights are on. I have to live in darkness. How can I get rid of them? I am in Miami.
@post 8: Is it only at night that they would be there -- when the light is on.
@anon15377: In my experience, if you are seeing a swarm at the window and the swarm numbers in the hundreds, you have termites. It may be possible that these are ants, but my bet is its termites. More than likely they are already hard at work on your house and are coming out of the walls.
If you live on a concrete foundation, they actually live under the concrete and bore up to the house and start eating. The flying ones you are seeing are the new males trying to leave your house to establish a new nest. Your poor neighbors! You definitely need to get professional help. Check Angie's list.
I live in Michigan. I just noticed within the past three weeks an insect which looks like a flying ant or termite inside my home. It is pinched at the waist and long antenna. I had a tree cut down about five years ago and just the bottom stump remain, which look like termites would reside. Do I need to call out a professional?
I live on the prairie in Western Canada. This is the second year I have found flying ants coming from my flower beds in a swarm. I don't care to use poison as my cats, dogs and wild birds frequently are in and out of the flower beds. I poured pickling vinegar around the rocks where the nests holes are. I then poured boiling water into the holes and am hoping that will work. I know I need to get the queen and eggs however that is going to require lifting the rocks and digging. I've tried the borax trick in the past but I tend to think ants are a creature you will never get rid of.
After several days of rain in Florida our lanai had a swarm of flying ants that bit 4 of the people swimming and sunning on the patio. Is it common for ants to bite humans during this swarming stage?
In a finished room over our garage, flying ants are gathering by the window, inside, on a daily basis. Probably close to a hundred in the past 3-4 days. I suspect there's a nest in the wall, and they're entering the house through some crack I haven't yet found. The ants just seem to die, but I'm afraid this is a pretty big nest. Any advice on where they might be coming from and why they're entering the house?
i always suspected that "flying ants" were really termites. it seems like i always see a couple sometime during the year, springtime i think. i will keep an eye out and examine them more closely to determine if it is in fact a flying ant or a termite. i also wonder, if you see one or two in your house, does that mean you have an infestation somewhere in your house?
Post your comments