Odorous House Ants

What do odorous house ants look like?

an odorous house ant inside of a home in washington illinois

Odorous house ants are fairly generic in appearance. They are dark brown to black, and when you look at them from the side, their thoraxes are uneven in shape. They are a small ant, with adults only growing to be about 1/8 of an inch long. These ants do not bite or sting and are considered to be nuisance pests. The best way to tell these ants apart from other species is by the very foul, rotten coconut-like smell they give off when they are crushed.

Where are odorous house ants found?

Odorous house ants can be found living in fairly large colonies that can have thousands of workers and hundreds of queens in it. Outside, these ants live in the nests of larger ants, in open spaces, or underneath logs, rocks, and other objects. Odorous house ants enter Quad City homes through cracks and small openings found in the exterior while foraging for food, or during times of heavy rain. Inside, they typically nest underneath floors and behind walls.

What do odorous house ants eat?

Like other types of ants, odorous house ants feed on plant secretions, seeds, other insects, and honeydew that is secreted from mealybugs and aphids. Inside homes, they can be found feeding on foods that are high in protein and grease like meats and cheese.

DIY odorous house ant prevention and control tips

Taking the following actions will help you prevent odorous house ants:

Storing woodpiles on pallets a distance away from the exterior of your building.
Removing logs, rocks, and piles of debris from your property.
Storing outdoor trash cans with tight-fitting lids away from the outside of your home.
Sealing cracks and crevices found in your home’s foundation, caulking gaps around windows and doors, sealing the spaces found around pipes and wires that enter into your home, and installing door sweeps underneath all exterior doors.
Washing dirty dishes, and quickly cleaning up spills and crumbs from floors and counters.

Professional odorous house ant control

To get rid of odorous house ants, contact Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators. One of our licensed pest control technicians will inspect your property and structure to identify your pest and evaluate the scope of the problem. After the assessment, a plan of action will be implemented that results in odorous house ant elimination!