First off, Happy Independence Day to all.
I use my patio a lot, and being built at grade, I get my share of ants. The dog and I sit out there constantly, and when grilling and smoking, or just having coffee and a cigarette, these little pest flies and ants get annoying. I use a pressure sprayer made by Delta Industries in King of Prussia, PA. It is a small hand held pump up sprayer, hold maybe a quart of liquid.
I fill it 3/4 full of water, 1/4 ammonia and 3 healthy squirts of liquid dish soap. Screw on the lid, give it a few shakes, pump it up and the game is on. Once I have the spray pattern locked in, I can fail a fly at 2 - 3 feet; the mixture weighs down his wings and a fly swatter provides a quick kill. As for the ants, a quick shot and they die rapidly (suffocated). I even get the flies off the dog this way. Except for getting it in ones eyes, it is safe. A side benefit is that it is ready to spritz down you smoker or grill to dispatch and drippings.
Cheaper and I think safer than commercial sprays. Been doing this for years. Here is a link:
http://www.deltasprayers.com/spray-bottles/industrial/pressure-sprayer
