Spring is here and with it are the stirrings of a number of pest species. One of the most invasive pests by far is the odorous house ant. It is a small brown to blackish ant, only 1/8 inch in length, and has a noticeable odor when crushed.
Although they don’t cause damage like carpenter ants and termites, their nesting and foraging behavior into homes for food, moisture, and shelter can be extremely irritating. The foragers can be seen crawling around on floors, walls, and cabinets especially in kitchens and baths. Control can be difficult to achieve for homeowners due to the sheer numbers in a colony (500,000-1 million), the dispersal nature of the nests, and their general avoidance of baits. Removing leaf debris from around the foundation of the home, trimming back branches and shrubs from touching the house, and not over mulching can help reduce nesting sites.