Hogarth's Pest Control specializes in all types of industries, residential and commercial.
Odorous house ants are often referred to as “sugar ants” or “sweet ants” because they’re usually found in the kitchen snacking on sugary substances. These ants won’t cause any damage to the home, unlike carpenter ants and acrobats ants. Still, they are a nuisance insect that licensed pest control professionals can eradicate by using bait wherever they are trailing. They typically snack on sweet in the spring and proteins in the fall.
Habits
Odorous house ants like to snack on sweet foods and are especially partial to honeydew. They are notorious for moving their nests every three months or so in response to rain.
Habitat
Indoors, these ants nest near sources of moisture, such as in wall voids in heaters, beneath leaky fixtures, near hot water pipes, and inside wood damaged by termites. Outside, they are often found in exposed soil or under stacks of firewood.
Threats
Odorous house ants do not pose as a public health risk, but they can contaminate food and should be avoided if possible. If you notice signs of these ants, contact a professional immediately to discuss a proper course of odorous ant removal.
Tips:
- To identify an odorous house ant, squash the ant between your fingers; it should smell like coconut.
- We advise that customers DO NOT attempt to spray or treat these ants with store-bought products. Spraying will cause budding and make the problem much worse and harder to deal with.
Odorous House Ant Prevention
Pests such as these are attracted to moisture. To prevent them, eliminate standing water sources. Ensure branches and other plants are cut back from structures. Sometimes odorous ants use these as means to enter a structure. Make sure that there are no cracks or little openings around the bottom of the foundation. Ensure firewood and building materials are not stored next to the home because odorous house ants like to build nests in stacks of wood.
