Flying Ants & Insects in Your Home — How to Get Rid of Them?
Rainy season is here, and so are the pesky flies
There's nothing fun there are dozens of flies swarming around your living room light. So, let's get down to scientific business.
Those flying insects that swarm around fluorescent lights in your home during hot and humid nights are called Alates — basically insects with wings or with a wing-like structure.
So, a number of insects fall under this description. The two most common ones in Singapore are flying ants and flying termites. And the ones you see regularly swarming under street lights or even the lights in your own home are actually... flying termites!
From apple cider vinegar to dish soap, cloves, and red wine, here are some DIY methods you can try to get rid of flying ants, flies, moths, and household insects from your home.
Know your enemy before you destroy them. We dug around for more information on those commonly found winged pests in Singapore and have discovered methods (organic, effective and inexpensive) to get rid of them.
Flying Termites
One of the most commonly found winged insects are flying termites. You might recognise them swarming around fluorescent lights in your home during humid and rainy nights.
Don’t be afraid of them though, because they’re generally harmless. During this stage of their life, they’re simply swarming to mate and form new colonies. Note that this is the only time you’ll see termites flying – after the deed is done, their wings drop, the males die and the females burrow in warm and damp areas to lay eggs.
You can easily get rid of flying termites with these two affordable and organic methods!
1. Pail or bowl of water
Hold a pail or bowl of water about 10cm away from the swarm – the bright reflection on the water should attract the termites, drowning them.
Experts believe light refracted from clear plastic bags scare insects like flies away. Simply fill a clear bag with water and leave it to hang around affected areas or entry points.
2. Orange oil spray
Orange oil works so well that it’s recommended even by professionals! Simply purchase some orange oil and put it into a spray bottle. Now, all you have to do is spray any flying termites you see or areas where you see termite activity.
3. Turn off the lights
One absolutely fuss-free trick that worked for us was to simply turn off the lights in the room (or kitchen, in our case). Leave your windows open so they are attracted to the corridor or lights outside. No sign of flies or remnants of wings after in a couple of hours!
Flying Ants
Another commonly seen winged bug is the flying ant. They look pretty similar to the flying termite but don’t mix them up! They bite and rarely come indoors.
(Here are natural mosquito-repellent essential oils to get rid of another flying pest -- the mosquito. Having these insect-repelling plants will help, too.)
Here are some (organic and inexpensive) ways to eliminate flying ants!
1. Dish soap spray
Dish soap alone is effective against flying ants – it sticks to the ants’ bodies and dehydrates them.
To make this dish soap spray, simply dilute the dish soap with water inside a spray bottle and voila!
2. Trap them with tape
If these pests are bugging your food, lay down some tape, sticky side up, around the food sources. When the ants land on the tape, they’ll get stuck and won't be able to fly away.
This method isn't the most effective because it's not guaranteed that they will land on the tape. Even so, it’s a non-toxic and super affordable option which may still be worth a shot.
Moths
Moths are another common household problem – they can be very damaging as they feed on grains, cereals and closets. However, you can easily get rid of them with items already lying around your house.
Besides using a moth ball, we’ve found two practical ways to repel moths.
1. Essential Oils
Moth balls are an effective way to kill moths but they are also made using toxic chemicals and leave a pungent scent on your belongings.
Try natural substitutes – essential oils made from herbs like dried rosemary, thyme, lavender or bay leaves are effective as well. Simply sprinkle them in your closet or cupboard.
2. Herbal sachets
If you don’t have essential oils around, an effective alternative is using sachets. All you have to do is fill a small cloth bag with said herbs, tie it with a string, and hang it up.
House Flies
House flies, although seemingly harmless, are major carriers of disease and can infest all types of premises! They are attracted to all types of food, including human food, pet food, food waste, and even faeces.
You’ll be able to recognise house flies from their yellow-brown abdomen and a dark grey thorax with four narrow stripes. Once indoors, they’re typically found resting on walls, floors or ceilings.
When outdoors, they can be seen on plants, the ground, fences, compost heaps and rubbish bins.
Make sure to keep house flies away with these solutions!
1. Plants
If you’re looking to remove flies outdoors, garden plants like basil, lavender, bay leaf, and mints do wonders when it comes to deterring flies.
2. Sticky Tape
You can also use sticky tape for house flies and fruit flies. These are non-toxic and safe to use around children and pets, such as these Fly Catcher Strips ($2.51).
3. Apple cider vinegar
Another environmentally-friendly solution to house flies is to fill a glass jar with apple cider vinegar and place a paper funnel in the jar. The scent will attract the flies, while the paper funnel will prevent them from flying out.
Otherwise, you can mix dish soap into the mixture as well, so the surface tension breaks when flies sink in the moment they land on it.
Fruit Flies
Yet another winged pest is the fruit fly. They’re commonly seen infesting fruit or hovering around rotten fruit. Despite their small size, fruit flies can turn into a huge nuisance, especially once they start breeding.
What sets them apart from other flies is their yellow-brown colour and bright red eyes.
Here’s how you can get rid of pesky fruit flies!
1. Red wine
Pour a mixture of red wine and a bit of dish soap into a small container, then wrap the top of the container with plastic wrap and punch a few holes. Set it up near the presence of fruit flies and let the magic happen!
2. Rotten fruit trick
Similar to the previous method, stick a rotten or overripe fruit into a container, put a plastic wrap around the container, punch a few holes into the plastic and watch as the fruit flies fly into the trap like a moth to a flame.
3. Cloves and Lemongrass
Flies hate the smell of cloves, so they next time you're dining al fresco or having a picnic, scatter some cloves around the table.
Boil some lemongrass in water and funnel the fluid into a spray bottle. The next time you see flies around your home, spray the affected area.
Read More: How to get rid of ants, lizards and mosquitoes