S & W Pest Management Inc : Insect Guide

Pest Guide » Ants » Odorous House Ants:

Odorous House Ants
Tapinoma sessile
Color: Brown or black
Legs: Six
Shape: Segmented; oval
Size: 1/16" - 1/8"
Antennae: Yes
Flight: No

The Odorous House ants gets its name from the strong, rotten coconut smell it gives off when crushed. These tiny insects range in size from one-sixteenth of an inch to one-eighth of an inch long and they do not sting or bite. Workers move fast and often travel in columns. When alarmed they run about erratically with abdomens tipped while releasing an alarm pheromone, this draws more workers. They have become a major nuisance pest, infesting houses.

In the home, they prefer to eat sweets, especially melon, but they will eat almost anything including meats, eggs, oils and fats. Their natural food source is the sweet honeydew produced by aphids and mealybugs, workers will also gather nectar from plants and feed on both living, and dead insects. Fruit trees, roses and other plants that attract aphids can contribute to Odorous House ant infestations. These ants do not pose a public health risk, but they can contaminate food and should be avoided.

Odorous House ants are very difficult to control because they set up many different colonies in an area, frequently move and do not feed well on bates. The best way to control these tiny invaders is to prevent an infestation in the first place.

Prevention Outdoors:

Remove piles of lumber or other yard debris that could serve as a nesting site for ants.
Keep mulch less than 2" thick and at least 12" away from foundations.
Eliminate sources of moisture such as leaky faucets, plumbing, and free-standing water. Also, make sure that your sprinkler system does not spray directly onto the foundation of your home or business.
Consider re-landscape. Avoid using plants that are prone to aphids.
Keep branches trimmed to prevent them from touching your building.

Prevention Indoors:

Clean windows of dead insects, Odorous House ants will feed on them.
If ants are trailing to food, remove the food source and wipe ant trails with a mild detergent to erase the trail pheromone. The trail pheromone is a specialized chemical that foraging ants emit to guide other foraging ants to food or to a new nesting place.

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