Identifying and Controlling Your Odorous House Ant Problem
Odorous house ants are one of the most common pests found in residential homes. Often found on countertops or running along floorboards, these ants scurry inside looking for refuge from the rainy weather. But while there are a number of different types of ants that can find their way inside your home, odorous house ants are by far the most common. So how can you identify these ants in your home?
Identifying Odorous House Ants
Odorous house ants average between 2.4 to 3.3 millimeters in length. They are dark brown or black in color and have an unevenly shaped thorax. These ants are most distinguishable by their odor when they are crushed. This odor most often thought to smell like rotten coconut or blue cheese. These ants primarily target sweet items inside your home.
Signs of an Odorous House Ant Infestation
Odorous house ants are opportunists and take any chance to forage for food and water. They are often found in the kitchen pantries and cupboards, where food is kept. Like most ants, odorous house ants live in a colony, which is often found inside buildings, inside walls, or beneath floors. Each colony will contain thousands of reproductives and can have more than 1,000,000 worker ants in them. They travel in trails and forage during the day as well as at night. While indoors, these ants can nest in walls, near heaters, water pipes, under carpets, and beneath paneling. But outside, these ants live in shallow nests within soil cavities, in logs, mulch, and under debris and rocks. When alarmed, they move quickly and in erratic motions while raising their abdomens in the air, preparing for flight.
Odorous house ants make their way into your home during the spring, summer, and fall months when it is moist outside. These ants can be nuisances for homeowners. But with our Annual Home Shield Plan, we can work to keep your home pest-free. For more information on keeping your home ant-free, call Eco-Care Pest Management today!
Call Eco-Care Today!
From odorous house ants to wasps, Eco-Care does it all! A family owned and operated company, Eco-Care has been serving central Maryland for more than 55 years. Eco-Care works with a scientific approach to getting rid of the pests in your home for good. With specially trained field technicians, we can help your home stay pest free! For more information on our services, call Eco-Care today!