Odorous House Ant

Odorous house ants are one of the most common and annoying pests that can invade your home in Madison, Wisconsin. They are small, black and brown ants that can be found trailing in a line from a food source to their nest. They are named odorous because they emit a pungent smell of rotten coconut when they are crushed or disturbed.

Identification

Odorous house ants are easy to recognize by their size, color, and smell. They are:

Black and brown in color
Workers range in size from 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch
Ants trail in a line, follow the leader style, back and forth from a food source
Nest in walls, which means it’s not uncommon to find them upstairs
Have a pungent rotten coconut odor when crushed or alarmed (not everyone can smell it)
Antenna: 12 segments without a club
One hidden node underneath its abdomen, it does not have a stinger
No circle of hairs on the anal pore

Lifecycle

Odorous house ants have a complete metamorphosis, which means they go through four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Their lifecycle is affected by several factors, such as temperature, humidity, and food availability. It can take anywhere between 34 and 83 days for an odorous house ant to develop from an egg to an adult. Here is a brief overview of each stage:

Egg: The queen ant lays her eggs and incubates them for 11-26 days.
Larva: The larva stage lasts for 13-29 days. The larvae are fed by the worker ants and grow rapidly.
Pupa: The pre-pupal and pupal stages last for 10-24 days. The pupae are white and immobile and look like grains of rice. They transform into adult ants inside their cocoons.
Adult: The adult ants emerge from their cocoons and join the colony. They can live for several months or years.

Odorous house ants live in colonies that may have more than two queen ants for every 1,000 worker ants. The queens are responsible for reproducing the workers and reproductive ants in thousands. The workers are the ones that forage for food, feed the larvae, and defend the colony. The reproductive ants are the ones that mate and start new colonies.

Odorous house ants are very active and mobile. They tend to move their nests as often as every three weeks in the summer months. They can also split their colonies into smaller sub-colonies when they encounter stress or disturbance.

Habitat and Behavior

Odorous house ants can be found both indoors and outdoors. They prefer moist and warm environments with access to food and water sources. Here are some of the places where you can find them:

In nature: They are found around logs, mulch, bird’s nests, under-stones, or near areas with honeydew (a sugary substance produced by aphids and other insects).
In a structure: They are found in different parts of your home, such as in walls, window frames, insulation, kitchen cabinets, sinks, bathrooms, or near electrical outlets. Their nests are very shallow and often hidden behind cracks or crevices. They can escape into your home during heavy rains or cold weather.

Odorous house ants are omnivorous and will eat almost anything they can find. They are especially attracted to sweets, meats, pastries, or juices. They will tend to leave a trail of pheromones (chemical signals) between the nest and food source. This will allow other ants to follow and identify the food source.

How to Prevent and Control Odorous House Ants

Odorous house ants can be a nuisance and a health risk if they contaminate your food or cause allergic reactions. Therefore, it is important to prevent and control them before they become a bigger problem. Here are some tips on how to do that:

Cut or trim back all branches and bushes from your home. This will prevent the ants from using them as bridges to enter your home.
Seal any cracks or gaps around your doors, windows, pipes, or wires. This will block the entry points for the ants.
Keep your kitchen clean and tidy. Always wipe up any spills or crumbs and store your food in sealed containers with lids.
Dispose of your garbage regularly and keep it away from your home.
Use baits or traps to kill the ants. You can buy them from your local hardware store or make your own with sugar and borax. Place them near the ant trails or nests and let the ants take the bait back to their colony. Be careful not to let children or pets access the baits or traps.
Hire a professional pest control service like Kwik Kill Pest Control if the infestation is severe or persistent. They can use more effective and safe methods to eliminate the ants and their nests.

Fun Facts

Odorous house ants are fascinating creatures that have some unique characteristics and behaviors. Here are some fun facts about them:

When crushed or become alarmed, they smell like coconuts.
Injured worker ants have been known to continue living and working with little hindrance. They can even regenerate some of their body parts, such as legs or antennae.
Some queens with a crushed abdomen will continue to lay eggs.
Some studies have shown that the queen can survive for up to two months without food or water. This is because she can use her fat reserves and metabolic water (water produced by cellular respiration) to sustain herself.
Odorous house ants are very tolerant to heat and cold.

If odorous house ants are giving you any trouble, call Kwik Kill Pest Control today and we can take care of the problem. We are experts at tackling many species of ants and can quickly stop by for a treatment.

Kwik Kill Services to Control Odorous House Ants:

Additional Information:

https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/odorous-house-ants/
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/odorous.html
https://extension.psu.edu/odorous-house-ant