House bug infestation- help ID and tips?

[Zak]

Over the last few days small clumsy bugs have been swarming over the inside of my office window and around one inside door frame.

They look kind of like biting black flies, but do not bite, and are about 2 or 3mm in length. Here's some pics:


I've never dealt with these before. What are they and how do I kill them all without poisoning or interior home environment (too much)?


Thanks!

 

[Zak]

They seem to be associated with these wingless bugs. Are they termites? I though termites were bigger.

 

[Zak]

All right, it looks like they are small flying ants, not termites:

2. Flying ants​

-JvL- | Flickr | CC BY 2.0
Carpenter ants aren’t the only ants that fly. Mature reproductive ants of any species will develop wings so they can fly away, find a new nesting site, mate, and start a new colony. Ants fly only during mating season, which happens during warm times of year.

Flying ants move in swarms, much like termites. Some homeowners see swarms of bugs and assume the worst. But here are the easiest ways to tell the difference between termites and flying ants.

Traits of Flying Ants	Traits of Flying Termites
Bent antennae	Straight antennae
Front wings longer than rear wings	Same length front and rear wings
Middle narrower than head and back end	Middle same width as head and back end
Feed on food debris	Feed on wood, paper, and other plant-based products

Still don't like that they are swarming inside my house!

 

[Northern]

Wow - I've certainly seen flying ant swarms, but never had them come inside the house! Eek.
On the up side - this would be a good time to fish ant patterns on your lake

 

[Tom Butler]

We've had the tiny "sugar" ants in our house twice this year, and several places outside. Just got them out of the kitchen. Conga line from outside, setting up shop under the dish drainer. I think they were also in the wall. One year they set up in the coffee pot when we were gone. I use the little plastic liquid bait box thing you tear one end off. Go at it for at least a week, as a new brood seems to come out, but then they are gone.
https://www.terro.com/articles/get-rid-of-sugar-ants-in-3-steps

 

[Zak]

We've had the tiny "sugar" ants in our house twice this year, and several places outside. Just got them out of the kitchen. Conga line from outside, setting up shop under the dish drainer. I think they were also in the wall. One year they set up in the coffee pot when we were gone. I use the little plastic liquid bait box thing you tear one end off. Go at it for at least a week, as a new brood seems to come out, but then they are gone.
https://www.terro.com/articles/get-rid-of-sugar-ants-in-3-steps

We had an ant problem when I moved in and I cured it with those baits. These flying bugs don't seem to be interested in anything but swarming around.

 

[skyrise]

I don’t mess around. Go to hardware store, buy concentrated ant and bug poison. Mix up a batch in the bug sprayer and spray all areas where they show up including all around the foundation of the house. Repeat all spring, summer and fall. They like to get between the cracks and spaces on the patio and driveway. So really douse those areas. You can try Borax but its a pain to get that in all the little areas and you have to reapply a bunch.

 

[Tom Butler]

Little bastards were back this afternoon. Come and get it!

 

[Pink Nighty]

I could watch them go in and out of that trap all day. My favorite is to set the bait near their pathway and watch the first one investigate it. Go tell your friends buddy, it's an all you can eat buffet!

 

[tkww]

Little bastards were back this afternoon. Come and get it!
View attachment 30642

In my experience, the Terro stuff does work, but.... IMO the big gun of ant bait is Advion. The ants go ape for it and it's quick. In 12-24 hours they're almost entirely gone. There is sometimes a brief, sparse second wave the next day, and then it's a ghost town.

I've had a lot of problems with ants over the years. I blame the strip of undeveloped land right behind my house. So I've spent some time researching and trying stuff. I've made simple syrup mixtures with borax for large area targeting where I don't want to pay for Advion in that kind of quantity. It works ok, but like the terro, not real quick.

If I have to use a spray indoors (and/or around pets), I use Suspend SC. It's labeled as ok for food handling areas, which should give you and idea as to its safety. If I'm spraying outside, I use Taurus SC. I would Hammer your foundation with it and you might be surprised how few problems you have inside.

But if I have a specific area where I'm not looking to spray at all (say, on my kitchen counter) and I want it solved asap, Advion is just plain awesome. Every time I use it I am re-amazed at how effective it is.

 

[Zak]

In my experience, the Terro stuff does work, but.... IMO the big gun of ant bait is Advion. The ants go ape for it and it's quick. In 12-24 hours they're almost entirely gone. There is sometimes a brief, sparse second wave the next day, and then it's a ghost town.

I've had a lot of problems with ants over the years. I blame the strip of undeveloped land right behind my house. So I've spent some time researching and trying stuff. I've made simple syrup mixtures with borax for large area targeting where I don't want to pay for Advion in that kind of quantity. It works ok, but like the terro, not real quick.

If I have to use a spray indoors (and/or around pets), I use Suspend SC. It's labeled as ok for food handling areas, which should give you and idea as to its safety. If I'm spraying outside, I use Taurus SC. I would Hammer your foundation with it and you might be surprised how few problems you have inside.

But if I have a specific area where I'm not looking to spray at all (say, on my kitchen counter) and I want it solved asap, Advion is just plain awesome. Every time I use it I am re-amazed at how effective it is.

Thanks for this info!

 

[Tom Butler]

In my experience, the Terro stuff does work, but.... IMO the big gun of ant bait is Advion. The ants go ape for it and it's quick. In 12-24 hours they're almost entirely gone. There is sometimes a brief, sparse second wave the next day, and then it's a ghost town.

I've had a lot of problems with ants over the years. I blame the strip of undeveloped land right behind my house. So I've spent some time researching and trying stuff. I've made simple syrup mixtures with borax for large area targeting where I don't want to pay for Advion in that kind of quantity. It works ok, but like the terro, not real quick.

If I have to use a spray indoors (and/or around pets), I use Suspend SC. It's labeled as ok for food handling areas, which should give you and idea as to its safety. If I'm spraying outside, I use Taurus SC. I would Hammer your foundation with it and you might be surprised how few problems you have inside.

But if I have a specific area where I'm not looking to spray at all (say, on my kitchen counter) and I want it solved asap, Advion is just plain awesome. Every time I use it I am re-amazed at how effective it is.

Thanks for the heads up on Advion. My wife got this spray last June and it kills them dead and they avoid the area after for a while. We use it around the counters, baseboards and the dogs area.

 

[Old406Kid]

If I'm spraying outside, I use Taurus SC. I would Hammer your foundation with it and you might be surprised how few problems you have inside.

I use this around the perimeter of my homes and rental properties in the spring and fall and very seldom have any 'livestock' inside.
This is a good site to research for various pest control solutions.

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[DerekWhipple]

We also got a bunch of the tiny ants coming in last week. The Terro bait fixed it. I like to use that because it's basically just borax and water. The ants love it and after a day or two they are gone. Doesn't work as fast as the nasty stuff, but I feel better with dogs and kids in the house. If these ants evolve to feed on borax, then I'm in trouble.

 

[NRC]

I’ve done great with a borax and sugar mixture, and I like it since it’s a little more “crunchy” than the commercial ant poisons.

Plus you can also use the borax in your herring brine.