Odorous House Ant

Odorous House Ant

About The Pest

The odorous house ant gets its name from the strong, rotten coconut smell it gives off if crushed. These tiny dark brown ants are less than 1/8″ long. Odorous house ants form strong foraging trails in search of food sources (sweets are their favorite). They form massive, multi-queened super-colonies and will move their nests about every 3 months in response to rainfall. Indoors, odorous house ants nest near moisture sources, such as in wall voids near hot water pipes, in heaters, beneath leaky fixtures and inside wood that has been damaged by termites. Outside, odorous ants are found in exposed soil or under stacks of firewood. They prefer lush, humus-rich soils and are very common in/around garden borders.

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Photo credit to Joseph Berger

Seasonality

Odorous House Ants peak during warmer seasons, particularly March through September.

Species
Tapinoma sessile (Say)
Season
Spring, Summer, Autumn
Size
1/8” or less
Region
Throughout the U.S.

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