# large flying ants on patio



## KUIPORNG (Jan 11, 2006)

This morning when I get out to work on the patio paver laying... I saw quite a few flying ants... most of them crawling on the ground... but some flying... I kill any I can by simply stepping on them... They are of those large size type, not those tiny small ants.... I worry they try to build new home under my paving stones... As for sure there are space underneath or in between stones..etc....

any advice to prevent them from achieveing this... will those poison from HD for ants (some liquid) (some power) work? or there is a better method...


Thanks


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## Kap (Jun 20, 2008)

Where are you? Over here, they're termites. We get the annual hatching here. Looks like flying ants, but they're not.


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## KUIPORNG (Jan 11, 2006)

*I am in Toronto*

yes they may be termite..... well this morning they didn't show up... may be due to the rain last night... well whatever... is there any preventive method I can use to stop them nesting under my pavers... right now I am not sure if they did that or will they intend to do that..etc.

thanks...


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## Kap (Jun 20, 2008)

If they are termites, I'd be more concerned with them nesting in the house than under the pavers. Maybe consult a pest control expert?


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## 747 (Feb 11, 2005)

Sounds to me like worker termites. I would get a professional exterminator out for a house inspection. Also he has a wand where he can saturate that soil around patio from underneath to kill them.


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## KUIPORNG (Jan 11, 2006)

*Actually I think it is really ant queen and king...*

After searching the net a little bit... I think that morning what I encountered is actually some ants' queens and kings try to mate.... our home was so lucky being selected as making bed for many times: two birds nests, one in the tree, one in a hanging flower pot... bumble bees under our stairs... now these ants thing.... I did kill a lot of queen that morning.. but for sure not all of them... that means I did do the earth some good by eliminating a bunch of ant potential colony....

why I think they are ants rather than termites:

1. this flying ants only happen in that particular morning and no more...
2. I remember the looks of it is kind of look what the web said regarding different appearance of ants and termites...

anyway... thanks for the reply... I would really nervous if I do see termites and definitely will do whatevery I can to eliminate them.... for now I don't see them no more... so I am good...


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## bluefitness (Sep 4, 2008)

KUIPORNG said:


> After searching the net a little bit... I think that morning what I encountered is actually some ants' queens and kings try to mate.... our home was so lucky being selected as making bed for many times: two birds nests, one in the tree, one in a hanging flower pot... bumble bees under our stairs... now these ants thing.... I did kill a lot of queen that morning.. but for sure not all of them... that means I did do the earth some good by eliminating a bunch of ant potential colony....
> 
> why I think they are ants rather than termites:
> 
> ...


You could have a mature carpenter ant colony. I am dealing with one right now. I opened a wall void to find hundreds of huge worker ants and a lot of swarmer ants. The swarmer ants have wings. If you can catch one, you can just look at its antennas and body to determine if it is a termite or carpenter ant.


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## KUIPORNG (Jan 11, 2006)

*I am pretty sure it is the mating season event*

as it only happen once in one morning... and never again... and I did some search on the internet and confirm that...

anyhow... I am now spend much less time doing renovation but passing Gospel... after reading the book "Heaven is so real"... give it a try... may be you need to drop all your equipments like me ... if you are DIyers like what I used to be...


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## ocoee (May 31, 2007)

Termite swarmers are black and small termite workers are translucent and small and do not fly

It sounds like carpenter ant swarmers

The larger ones are alate female and the smaller ones are alate males
The one without wings have already mated

And yes they are attempting to establish satellite colony, possibly under the pavers

Go out at night with a flashlight and try to find a trail and follow it back to the nest
Once you have found that treat it with any pyrethrin you have on hand


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