Domakihub How to Get Rid of Flying Ants Fast and for Good
Stop a flying ant swarm before it turns into a full infestation.
Reviewed by Domakihub home & decor pros · 2026-06-23 · 4 min read
Flying ants appear suddenly — often on a hot, humid summer day — and can send guests at a holiday rental or hotel into a panic within minutes. The video above walks through removal techniques visually, while this guide gives you a clear, ordered plan to eliminate them and stop them coming back. Whether you manage a villa in Crete, an apartment in Athens, or a family home anywhere in Greece, these steps work in any residential or commercial setting.
Why Flying Ants Appear in the First Place
Flying ants are not a separate species — they are ordinary ants in their reproductive stage. Once a colony matures, it produces winged males and queen ants that take flight together to mate and start new colonies. In Greece this typically happens between June and September, triggered by warm temperatures and high humidity, often right after rain.
The swarm itself is temporary, usually lasting one to three days. However, if the underlying nest is inside or directly against your building, you will see repeating swarms year after year until the colony is treated at the source.
Are Flying Ants Dangerous?
Flying ants do not sting and rarely bite. They are a nuisance rather than a health hazard, but in large numbers they contaminate food surfaces, alarm guests, and can signal a mature ant colony established close to or inside your property.
The main risk is that a newly mated queen lands somewhere suitable — a wall cavity, under flooring, or in the garden soil near your foundations — and starts a fresh colony. Acting quickly during the swarm prevents this secondary infestation.
How to Get Rid of Flying Ants: 5 Steps
- 1
Locate the nest entrance
Flying ants emerge from a specific exit point — a crack in a wall, a gap around a window frame, a joint in floor tiles, or a patch of garden soil. Watch where the ants are crawling before they take flight and mark the spot. Treating the nest entrance is the only way to stop repeated swarms; spraying the flying ants themselves is a temporary fix.
- 2
Apply a residual insecticide or gel bait at the nest
For outdoor nests in soil or garden beds, a liquid permethrin-based insecticide poured directly into the entrance is highly effective. For indoor nest sites in wall cavities or under skirting boards, use an ant gel bait (fipronil or imidacloprid): worker ants carry the bait back to the queen, collapsing the colony within days. Follow label instructions and keep pets and children away from treated areas until dry.
- 3
Seal entry points into the building
While the colony is being eliminated, seal all cracks, gaps around pipes, and openings in window and door frames using silicone sealant or expanding foam. Flying ants and newly mated queens exploit even hairline gaps. Pay special attention to the roofline, any exposed wood fascias, and the joints where utility pipes enter walls — all common nest founding sites in Greek summer heat.
- 4
Remove food and moisture sources indoors
Flying ants are drawn inside by sweet foods, crumbs, and standing water. Keep all food in airtight containers, empty bins daily, wipe down worktops and tiles, and fix any dripping taps or leaking pipes under sinks. In rental properties and hotels, brief cleaning staff to check and wipe surfaces in kitchen and bar areas morning and evening during swarm season.
- 5
Use a vacuum and dish-soap spray for immediate indoor control
If a swarm has already entered the building, the fastest non-chemical response is a vacuum cleaner — capture the ants directly and empty the bag outside immediately. A spray bottle of warm water mixed with a few drops of dish soap kills flying ants on contact by coating their breathing pores. This handles the immediate nuisance while the nest treatment takes effect over the following days.
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FAQ
- How long does a flying ant swarm last?
- Most swarms disperse within one to three days once the winged ants have mated. However, if the nest is nearby, you may see smaller secondary swarms across the same week. Treating the nest entrance cuts this short significantly.
- Can I get rid of flying ants without chemicals?
- Yes, to a degree. Boiling water poured directly into a visible outdoor nest entrance destroys a large portion of the colony. Diatomaceous earth sprinkled around entry points damages the ants' exoskeleton and dehydrates them. These methods work best on small, accessible outdoor nests. For indoor or hidden nests, a gel bait is usually necessary for full eradication.
- Why do flying ants keep coming back every year?
- Recurring swarms mean the colony has not been eliminated — only the visible ants were treated. A mature queen can live for years and produce thousands of workers annually. To stop the cycle, you must treat or destroy the nest itself, then seal the entry points so no new queen can found a replacement colony in the same spot.