Are you seeing tiny brown or black ants coming into your home in large numbers? Are they between ⅛ and 1/16 of an inch long? Those little ants might be odorous house ants. There is one way to find out, but it is unpleasant. When you crush odorous house ants, they live up to their name. These little ants put off a smell that some describe as rotten coconut, and it is quite odorous. Apart from smelling bad and entering your home in large numbers, what else should you know about these ants? Here's what the experts at Aiken have to say.
Where Odorous House Ants Nest
These ants can establish nests in many places. You can find them nesting in exposed soil, under rocks, inside stumps, and even inside your home. There are only a few species of ants that will take up residence inside your residence. This ant species is one of them. They can nest in cracks and crevices, behind cabinets, and in many voids within your Jackson home. If odorous house ants create a nest inside your home, it stinks in more ways than one. Their presence inside your home will make it easier for them to mobilize quickly and appear as if out of nowhere.
Odorous House Ants Are Drawn To Sweets
They encroach upon yards that have plant-damaging insects that produce honeydew, such as aphids or whiteflies. Reducing these insects can help you resist odorous house ants.
Once inside your home, odorous house ants will be drawn to jelly stuck to the side of a jelly jar, honey on the outside of a honey jar, barbecue sauce around the top of a bottle, and similar sources. They'll get into your cabinets and find their way into sugar and products that are high in carbohydrates. If you leave a cup of soda on a counter, this ant species will take notice.
How Ants Mobilize
When a worker ant finds something that is appropriate to eat or drink, it lays down a pheromone scent. This alerts other workers. As each new worker comes to the source, it also lays down a scent. Over a short period of time, the scent grows, and the number of ants grows with it. That's why you leave for a few minutes and come back to an army of ants climbing on something you left on the counter, island, or table.
Why Odorous House Ants Create Nests Indoors
When these ants find a food source in your kitchen, it can inspire them to migrate indoors. They may also get into your home due to heavy rain outside. While you can do much about that rain, you can keep your kitchen areas clean to reduce your chances of an infestation. You may also institute a rule that your family only eats in the kitchen.
How Concerned Should You Be About Odorous House Ants?
As ants go, odorous house ants aren't the worst houseguests you can have. They don't pose a public health risk and they don't damage your home. But it is best to not have them in your food because they are capable of transporting harmful bacteria from your trash to your stored foods.
How To Keep Odorous House Ants Out
If these ants haven't gotten in yet, there are a few things you can do to keep them out. We discussed a few already. Let's start with those.
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Reduce plant-damaging pests that produce honeydew.
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Keep things clean inside your home to remove attractants that could cause these ants to move in.
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Remove overripe fruit from fruit bowls on your island or kitchen table.
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Put pet food down only during mealtimes.
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Remove containers from around your home to prevent standing water.
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Alter conditions that cause ground saturation and moisture issues.
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Trim plants, bushes, and trees to keep branches away from your exterior walls.
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Make sure your screens are in good working condition.
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Fix gaps in weather stripping around exterior doors.
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Seal gaps around foundation penetrations, such as pipes and utility conduits.
How To Get Rid Of Odorous House Ants
These can be frustrating ants to control. The best solution is to contact Aiken Pest Control. We use modern ant control methods and products to arrest ant infestations in Jackson and throughout our South Carolina service area. We can help you get these ants out and keep them out.
