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Flying ants in the house #793907

Asked June 02, 2022, 5:56 PM EDT

Hello, I am seeing a handful of these inside the house. Wanted to know if this is harmless and just a flying ant or it is a termite. And lastly , how do I get rid of it? Thank you. Ravi

Washington County Oregon

Expert Response

Hi,

Well, that is definitely not a termite. The wings and antennae would look different on a termite.

It looks like it probably is a flying ant, although I can't see all the ID characteristics to verify that in your photo, and if it is an ant, I can't tell what kind it is.

Flying ants are winged, reproductive forms that only show up at certain times of the year. They can fly reasonable distances, so having a few show up now and again is nothing to worry about. If the winged ants are carpenter ants and they are emerging indoors though (not just accidentally getting in from somewhere outdoors), that could indicate they are nesting in wood in your house, and that would be something you should take care of to prevent damage.

I think the best course of action would be to determine if those are carpenter ants or not. To do this, you could take some specimens to your local OSU Extension office or send some to us at the OSU Plant Clinic for ID.

Here are instructions for submitting a sample to the Plant Clinic if you would like to do that...
https://bpp.oregonstate.edu/plant-clinic/insect-id-clinic/how-submit-insect-and-spider-materials
For ants, you can just put them into a small crush-proof container with a bit of tissue for cushioning. No need to add any alcohol preservative.

Hope that helps!
Bill Gerth Replied June 08, 2022, 1:32 PM EDT

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