As the name suggests, odorous house ants are a species of ants that emit a very strong smell when they are crushed. This smell is similar to rotten coconut. In terms of appearance, they are brown or black in coloration with a size of 1/16” to 1/8? and they have a segmented body with an oval abdomen. The species is found throughout the US.
Causes of an Infestation
Odorous house ants are not too different from ants of other species. They prefer to eat sugars, especially honeydew, and they want to set up nests near sources of moisture. That is why you will usually find them near water pipes, leaky fixtures, or even inside wood that has been damaged by termites.
Are Odorous House Ants Dangerous?
Odorous house ants pose no health threat to the residents of the home. They do not spread disease and they do not have dangerous bites. However, because of the smell they emit, they are one of the worst species of ants that you can have in your home.
Prevention
Knowing the causes of an odorous house ant infestation can help you understand what you need to do in order to prevent one from occurring. Make sure that you remove any sources of excess moisture from the home, and that you keep your food in tightly sealed containers. You want to be really careful with sugary spills, because those are the main draws for these ants. Odorous house ants can also use tree branches to enter into the home, so make sure that you keep any branches that face the home trimmed, and that any cracks or small openings in the exterior of the home are sealed.
Control
Removing an odorous house ant colony from your home can be done with traditional ant killing products such as baits. Baits are especially useful if you do not know where the colony is located. Alternatively, if you can find the location of the nest, you can go with the tried and tested boiling water method, or a kill-on-touch insecticide. If however, the infestation persists despite your best efforts, it might be time to call in a pro. Contact us today if you have an odorous house ant infestation on your property and you need some extra help in order to get rid of it. We will happily send someone over.