One of the most common ants found in large numbers in properties is the odorous house ant. These tiny ants don’t look like much but infestations can quickly grow out of control.
Odorous house ants are not very big, but their colonies can be quite large. Once one of the colony’s foragers has found a source of food, such as something sweet on your kitchen counter, the forager ants will lay down a pheromone trail for others to follow. Before long, an entire colony of ants will be inside your home. This can be a big problem and can be unsanitary around food preparation surfaces.
While odorous house ants are found throughout the United States, they are especially common in Northwestern states like Oregon and Washington.
Western Exterminator is the expert in getting rid of odorous house ants and can discuss ant removal and treatment options with you. We can get rid of the ants and prevent them from returning.
Odorous house ants are tiny brown ants that measure between 1.5mm and 3mm in length. They have an unevenly shaped thorax when viewed from the side and lack a noticeable stinger. These ants are often confused with pavement ants or the Argentine ant, but one distinguishing characteristic is their reaction to being crushed. These smelly ants have a distinct, rotten coconut-like odor when crushed, which can help to identify them.
Odorous house ants are highly adaptable and can nest in a variety of locations, including soil, wall voids, and beneath mulch. Unlike some other species, odorous house ants are polygynous, meaning colonies can contain many queens. This makes them harder to eliminate. If left unchecked, an odorous house ant queen can rapidly expand the colony.
An odorous house ant is a member of the tapinoma sessile species of ant. Odorous house ants are also known as stink ants or coconut ants.
The odorous house ant colony structure is hierarchical, with a queen who is in charge of producing the young, workers, and foragers who provide food for the queen, take care of the eggs, and seek out food away from the nest. Colonies can range in size from a few hundred to tens of thousands.
As with other types of ants, like black ants, the foragers go out and search for food to bring back to the nest. Given their size, foraging odorous house ants can get into a home or building very easily. Once a food source is found, the foragers leave an invisible pheromone trail back to the colony that the rest of the workers can use to find their way back to the food source. That’s when you may see the trail of ants traipsing through your kitchen, up the counters, and into the food sources.
They are also infamous for being very hard to kill. In fact, there have been examples of injured workers who continue to live, work, and contribute to the colony with almost no stoppage in work. Even queens that have had crushed abdomens have been seen to continue to lay eggs. It’s because of this hardiness that they are so hard to get rid of once they enter your home.
Although odorous house ants are hard to remove, they are just like other ants. Ant insecticides, baits, and traps can be used to get rid of them. However, they are also quite clever, and there could be multiple colonies in an area utilizing different ways to get inside. So you might get rid of one colony just to get invaded by another.
The best way to get rid of odorous house ants for good is to seal up cracks and spaces where they can get inside. This is the most effective method of keeping ants away and preventing future infestations. Make sure that no food is left in easy reach and is placed in sealed bins. Make sure that the stove, floor, and areas around the garbage cans are cleaned and clear of dropped food, too.
Finally, if you continue to have an odorous house ant invasion, it might be time to call in the experts at Western Exterminator.
These ants are found across the United States but are most commonly seen in humid environments or areas with easy access to food and water. Outdoors, they build nests under logs, stones, and within mulch. Inside homes, they are known to seek shelter in wall voids, beneath baseboards, near water pipes, and in other hidden areas where moisture is present. Their ability to establish seasonal polydomy — moving between multiple nesting sites throughout the year—allows them to thrive in various conditions.
During warmer months, colonies may expand and form supercolonies, allowing them to forage for food more effectively. This behavior is particularly problematic when they invade homes in search of sugary foods or protein-based meals.
The odorous house ant loves to eat sugary things over anything else. So, if you have something like cookies, pastries, donuts, or even fruit and vegetables out on the counter, they could attract odorous house ants. They will also happily snack on dairy products.
Their preferred sustenance is known as honeydew and it is a substance produced by aphids and mealybugs. Aphids snack on plants and, as they do, this sticky, sweet substance is expelled from their bodies and ants find it irresistible. Odorous house ants will collect this substance and bring it back to the colony.
This is not to say that odorous house ants only eat sugary foods. They are scavengers and opportunists and meat or other foods left out or dropped on the floor will also attract them. This includes things like pet food left in garbage cans.
These smelly ants are not directly harmful to humans, but they can be a nuisance when they invade homes in large numbers. Having very tiny brown ants in the kitchen isn’t ideal. While they do not sting, their presence can be unsanitary, especially in areas where food is prepared. Because they travel through unsanitary areas before entering a home, they may carry bacteria on their bodies, contaminating food and surfaces.
Odorous house ants can carry bacteria from garbage, drains, and other contaminated areas onto countertops and food. Keeping food sealed and cleaning frequently can help prevent infestations. This is especially important around pet food, which can attract ants if left out.
They do not have stingers, but, like all species of ants, they will defend their nests and colonies against invaders. They are not interested in biting humans, but are just looking for food, so bite risks are minimal at best.
An odorous house ant, despite the name, doesn’t have an inherent smell. Since they burrow into soil and are sometimes called “soil ants” they may smell like dirt if there are enough of them. So, how did they get their name?
Odorous house ants have a scent that they leave when they are crushed or stepped on. It has been described as like “rotten coconuts.” That’s why they are sometimes called coconut ants. While that may not be much when you just crush one ant, if you crush a lot of them, the smell can be quite potent and be hard to get rid of around the house.
Odorous house ants are known to overwinter in their nests during colder months. Once the weather warms up in the spring or summer, they emerge again and start looking for food. During spring and summer, you are more likely to find that your home is infested by odorous house ants than other parts of the year.
If you have noticed tiny brown ants in the bedroom or elsewhere in the house, it may be time to seek professional help. Many homeowners attempt to try DIY methods, but these attempts may not always be effective. While ant bait solutions or pesticides can sometimes reduce the population, they may not eliminate the colony due to the presence of multiple queens and polygynous nesting habits.
Contact Western Exterminator and get one of our ant pest control experts out to your home or business. We’ll inspect the property to find where the ants are likely getting in, what they are finding attractive about your property, and recommend treatments that will get rid of odorous house ants and offer solutions to stop them from coming back.
Knowing how to get rid of odorous house ants is difficult due to their polygynous nature. This means a single colony can have many queens. Their ability to relocate quickly and form new nests makes treatment more difficult.
Odorous house ants are drawn to sugary foods, grease, and protein-based substances. Open containers of food, pet food, and even food scraps in garbage cans can attract them. Additionally, they prefer moist areas near water pipes and wall voids, making kitchens and bathrooms common infestation sites.
Baiting is one of the most effective ways to eliminate odorous house ants. Baits typically include active ingredients like boric acid and growth inhibitors.
These ants build nests in a variety of locations, including soil, mulch, under rocks, and inside homes within wall voids or under baseboards. If you notice very tiny brown ants in the kitchen, they may have already established a colony indoors.
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