What does it look like?
It is a small brown to black ant. It measures 22.5-3.3 mm long. Its abdomen is thin and ends with a point. The odorous ant is fast and nervous. Its name comes from the particularity of a strong rottent coconut smell when squished.
The odorous ant can be found anywhere : under flat rocks, bark, piled wood, mulch in flower beds, piled pine spines, etc. It looks for high humidity level sports. The odorous ant feeds from aphids and alive or dead insects. Inside houses, it marks its patways through its pheromones, to the different food sources; crumbs, food splashes, etc.
Call an expert Ask an expert » Get a quick quote »Does the odorous ant represent a risk for me or damage my belongings?
No. The odorous ant is not aggressive, it does not bite nor sting humans, nor pets. It’s a fearful ant that will run away when attacked. The odorous ant does not damage construction material.
Its nuisance is mainly the presence of hundreds of ants inside the house. The ants come inside in search of food but the nests are usually located outside.
Call an expert Ask an expert » Get a quick quote »What are the signs of its presence?
The odorous ans is a highly invading ant, particularly in town. The odorous ant colonies found in town have several fertile queens per colony. A queen lays 1 egg per day. The odorous ant is active day and night and down to temperatures as low as 10C. The odorous ant can therefore be active up to 8 months per year in our climate. All these factors contribute to its success and to its top position in comparaison to other ants.
The main sign of its presence is douzens of small black ants who follow each other in line. It looks like every square inch is filled with ants. A strong rotten coconut smell will be felt if you squish one of them.
Call an expert Ask an expert » Get a quick quote »What should I do if I have odorous ants in my house?
One cannot get rid of odorous ant easily. Here are some reasons why : these ants often move their nests, the colony can have as many as 100 000ants, its pathways are spreaded out and may go as far as neighbors’houses. The majority of products sold in stores for ant control are not effective. A lot of these products may in fact have the opposite effect. They can provoke budding, which spreads the ants even more.
SOS Bugs uses odorless products adapted for these ants. The ants will feed from it and carry it to the nests without knowing it’s fatal to them. Our biologist’s expertise will be helpful to study the ants’ behavior, pathways and entry points and provide therefore effective treatment strategies. Call us at 819-328-7017
Tips to do before we come in :
- Keep counters clean.
- Vacuum floors regularly.
- Clean around the house, avoid piles of material, wood, etc.
- Pick up leaves, pine spines, etc.
- Reduce shaded humid spots around the house, prune your trees.
- Cut grass regularly.