Have you ever stepped on or crushed trailing ants, smelled a strange odor – a lttle bit like rotten coconuts? If so, it is probable that those ants were odorous house ants — and you will understand why they are called that!
Odourous house ants can be found trailing through kitchens in homes all across the world. This ant is most likely to enter homes after heavy rains when it is looking to get away flooding of its short nest. Odorous house ants are tiny — but fast. They usually travel in lines, but if they are disturbed or alarmed they will run around erratically – publishing their odor as they run. Some people have also equated their stench with sort of an odd pine scent, though spoiled coconuts are the most popular association.
Small Ants at home
But their foul scent is not the only unique thing about these tiny ants. They move their homes usually that if they were winged, they could have their own frequent flier program. Through the summer, these ants will move their nests as frequently as every three weeks, and that is not easy to do when you have hundreds of ants and multiple colonies in each nesting!
But their foul scent is not the only unique thing about these tiny ants. They move their homes usually that if they were winged, they could have their own frequent flier program. Through the summer, these ants will move their nests as frequently as every three weeks, and that is not easy to do when you have hundreds of ants and multiple colonies in each nesting!
Some odorous house ants do have wings for a very short time. Inside the spring or early summer (depending on the geographic area), these ants will swarm to breed. After mating, the female may return to the colony to put her eggs or may go out to start out a new one.
At only about 1/8 inch long, this dark brown or charcoal ant is especially drawn to sweets, such as fruit juices and pastries, but it will also eat a variety of foods, including meats and pastries. And it can nest just about everywhere; under stones, logs, mulch, or debris; in the nests of birds or mammals; and inside homes, in walls, window, and insulation.
What Can You Do to Control Smelly House Ants?
The first step in ant control is keeping the ants out of your property in the first place!
The first step in ant control is keeping the ants out of your property in the first place!
To Keep Ants Out of Your Home:
Trim back forest and shrubs away from house to remove this access point. (Ants will climb plants and find cracks and crevices through which they can enter in your home. )
Continue to keep foods tightly covered and stored. Wipe counters and surfaces clean, as ants can have a party on tiny crumbs and grease.
Do not leave pet food in dishes when pets are not eating – this offers an easy-access attractant for all types of ants – along with other pests, such as the death, cockroaches, and flies.
Eliminate Ants with:
Bait – Baits are usually your best option for reducing ants that contain gotten into the home. Ant baits can be purchased at most home stores. Following all label directions, the bait should be put where ants have recently been seen. Because ants can be finicky and like different types of foods at different times of the season, you may need to try different baits. But be patient! – The ants will nourish on the bait, then carry it back in the nest to feed the colony. It is through this feeding that the insecticide will be utilized in, and kill, the california king and other colony associates.
Indoor Sprays – Hardly ever spray trailing ants at home. You will kill the personnel that are there, but other ants will soon appear making implemented the scent trail set down by in your first set of ants.
Perimeter Treatment – Making use of a properly labeled insecticide around the perimeter of the house and under siding can help keep ants from crawling in. This can be done by the homeowner, following all label directions; or a pest control professional can be hired.
Nesting Treatment – In the event the nest can be found, it is usually effective to treat the nest itself with a properly labeled insecticide. In some cases, however, the ant species will have multiple colonies, so treating a single nesting will not relieve the problem. For this reason, it is important to recognize the species before treatment.
Continue to keep foods tightly covered and stored. Wipe counters and surfaces clean, as ants can have a party on tiny crumbs and grease.
Do not leave pet food in dishes when pets are not eating – this offers an easy-access attractant for all types of ants – along with other pests, such as the death, cockroaches, and flies.
Eliminate Ants with:
Bait – Baits are usually your best option for reducing ants that contain gotten into the home. Ant baits can be purchased at most home stores. Following all label directions, the bait should be put where ants have recently been seen. Because ants can be finicky and like different types of foods at different times of the season, you may need to try different baits. But be patient! – The ants will nourish on the bait, then carry it back in the nest to feed the colony. It is through this feeding that the insecticide will be utilized in, and kill, the california king and other colony associates.
Indoor Sprays – Hardly ever spray trailing ants at home. You will kill the personnel that are there, but other ants will soon appear making implemented the scent trail set down by in your first set of ants.
Perimeter Treatment – Making use of a properly labeled insecticide around the perimeter of the house and under siding can help keep ants from crawling in. This can be done by the homeowner, following all label directions; or a pest control professional can be hired.
Nesting Treatment – In the event the nest can be found, it is usually effective to treat the nest itself with a properly labeled insecticide. In some cases, however, the ant species will have multiple colonies, so treating a single nesting will not relieve the problem. For this reason, it is important to recognize the species before treatment.
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