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Ants- especially the flying sort ???

(25 Posts)
Callistemon Sat 20-Jul-19 11:39:47

Still no flying ants here - perhaps today is the day after all yesterday's rain.

ninathenana Fri 19-Jul-19 15:14:29

The slab base of our greenhouse looked like it was moving as I approached yesterday. No it was swarming with ants including flying ones.

Jane10 Fri 19-Jul-19 13:10:39

I can't say I'm assiduous with the hoover but I do hoover and have sprayed the carpets and rugs with anti moth stuff.

Greyduster Fri 19-Jul-19 09:54:47

Oops, that was supposed to be an underlined ‘not’!

Greyduster Fri 19-Jul-19 09:53:58

Mine seem to appear on window sills, Jane. I wasn’t, by the way, suggesting that you were notassiduous with your vacuum cleaner!! So far I haven’t seen any carpet damage and most of my carpets are wool, or a high percentage of same.

Jane10 Fri 19-Jul-19 09:06:31

That's oh dear.

Jane10 Fri 19-Jul-19 09:06:14

Yikes greyduster I hope they aren't carpet beetles but they do look like that. They're very tiny. I find them on hard surfaces though. In odd places eg above the bathroom door. On dear. Wanders off worrying.

Greyduster Fri 19-Jul-19 08:28:58

Jane10 I think your insects are varied carpet beetles. We have had a few. I’ve no idea where they come from; just have to be assiduous with the vacuum cleaner! As for ants, our front doorstep was swarming with them, and then some of them sprouted wings and flew off. We had a huge swarm of them in Cornwall last year - they chose the one day we had chosen to have a barbecue! Never saw them again!

Resurgam123 Fri 19-Jul-19 08:12:04

Mawbroonsback.
We have exactly the same problem with the B*****s. Coming in under the sill of the patio doors.

MawBroonsback Fri 19-Jul-19 08:03:31

Just read this today about flying ants - ??

SWARMS of flying ants over southern England this week were so dense they were picked up by Met Office radars and mistaken for rain.
The insects, which fly into the air en masse during July and August to mate, set off multiple radars which thought they were individual raindrops.

Callistemon Thu 11-Jul-19 17:07:24

Auntieflo - sorry

Callistemon Thu 11-Jul-19 17:06:45

Thanks Auntirflo
We've never seen any before either; they seem to arrive in the evening and are speedy little blighters.

I think we need insects - but not invading our houses!

Fennel Thu 11-Jul-19 17:02:03

There's another kind of moth called pantry moth. They invade dry goods such as flour rice pasta etc. and dried fruit.
Then lay their eggs.
As for ants - find their favourite route then you can get some kind of powder which you sprinkle on that route.
The route leads to their nest, I think.
So many more insect pests this year.

Auntieflo Thu 11-Jul-19 16:03:56

Callistemon, for the first time this year, we have had carpet moths. I bought a spray and then from the big river place, bought some moth smoke bombs. I was hoping that they had worked, although every now and then I see a little tiny blighter. Teeny, tiny, shiny silvery, beige little devils. They also seemed to like our bathroom, and when I have shaken towels and flannels, sometimes they are there from overnight. They must like the residual moisture.
I am now itching just thinking about them!

Callistemon Thu 11-Jul-19 15:20:22

Just thoroughly vacuumed the carpet yet again, turned sofas etc upside down but can't move some of the furniture, sprayed and fingers crossed now.
I didn't see any sign of carpets being munched.
EllanVannin I bought some impregnated cardboard strips which can hang in the wardrobe, but they smell very odd too. I don't think I'd put them near clothes.
Lavender bags, cedar balls?
I put soap in with clothes too, even wrapped in tissue paper the scent comes through and it makes your clothes smell nice too.

MawBroonsback Thu 11-Jul-19 14:32:22

EllanVannin that moth ball smell is awful though - very “old lady” , have you tried cedar balls? Smell so much nicer.
I have also read that keeping unwrapped scented soap in with your clothes will deter them

Sara65 Thu 11-Jul-19 14:13:10

We had a massive plague of flying ants at the weekend, they just seemed to come from nowhere, I don’t like them, but I HATE flies, I’m constantly chasing them around at this time of year

Auntieflo Thu 11-Jul-19 14:11:48

Maw, are you of the vintage to remember the song
“Close the door, they’re coming in the windows”?
That’s going through my head now, or is it just me?

EllanVannin Thu 11-Jul-19 14:02:33

It's the bluebottles that I don't like so have a rolled-up newspaper at the ready. Don't know what happened to my swatter.

A moth flew out of my wardrobe this morning so I've been looking through my woollen/mohair based clothing and will order some naphthalene ( moth balls ) online.

MawBroonsback Thu 11-Jul-19 14:01:19

Ladybirds before colour TV was invented?

Jane10 Thu 11-Jul-19 13:59:45

We've got tiny little beetly things like miniature ladybirds but black and grey. Any ideas?

Callistemon Thu 11-Jul-19 13:54:10

We've had some annoying little flies or moths coming indoors every evening - I hope they're not carpet moths. We've sprayed, hung smelly things around and bashed them but still they keep coming.
Does anyone else have that problem?

Callistemon Thu 11-Jul-19 13:51:52

crept before you think I meant something else blush

Callistemon Thu 11-Jul-19 13:51:29

We've had them in the conservatory and one or two crep indoors as well then I realised that they were clearing up a dead fly which I failed to clear up!

I said yesterday that they seemed to be very busy now and are probably getting ready to fly - and go off to make new nests.
The birds are enjoying them anyway.

MawBroonsback Thu 11-Jul-19 12:51:42

I know it’s the time of year and my patio has always been crawling with the little critters, but some have been coming in through the corner beside the patio doors ?

The only good ant for me is a ?dead-ant, dead-ant ?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OPc7MRm4Y8