The odorous house ant is also known as the “sweet ant”, but they are anything but sweet in their demeanor! These annoying pests can be quite a nuisance once they invade your gardens or homes. NJ pest control professionals say that the odorous house ants name is derived by the rotting coconut smell they emit once they are crushed…not pleasant!
The odorous house ant can inhabit a wide geographic area. Ant colonies can range from small to large with numbers reaching into the millions. Smaller colonies likely have one queen and larger colonies will have multiple queens. Each queen in the colony lays one egg per day to replenish the nest. The odorous house ant is dark brown to shiny black in color. Each of the worker ants are the same size, about 1/8 of an inch long.
When large nests are present, you will find these annoying ants traveling in well-defined set trails from nest site to nest site. Outdoors, nest site become disturbed and colonies spread by the movement of mulch, dry leaves and trash. When disturbed, the ants become erratic and move about with their abdomens raised in the air.
The odorous house will eat both dead and live insects. They favor aphid and scale honeydew. During a home invasion, they are on the constant hunt for sweets, but will devour other scraps of food products and pet food as well.
You will find this type of ant species nesting outdoors in shallow nests in the soil under stones, bricks, wood or other debris. Outdoors, wooded areas and even beaches are known to have odorous house ant colonies. Once they make their way indoors, you can find these unpleasant invaders nesting in wall voids, around water pipes and heaters, and under flooring.
The odorous house ant is considered to be the number one nuisance ant within the United States! Exterminating an odorous house ant colony on the interior or exterior of your home is not an easy task. For expert eradication of these year-round pests in New Jersey, contact Allison Pest Control.