How to Control The Odorous House Ant
Ant Party (Photo credit: sbfisher)
If there are two things that home owners despise, they are invasive ants and foul odours, both of which coincide in the the odorous house ant tapinoma sessile. This ant will raid your kitchen and leave pungent odors everywhere it goes. Odorous house ants can travel great distances to find food, often invading homes. Although sometimes difficult to eradicate, these ants are susceptible to insecticides and natural preventative methods, especially if the infestation is small.
The Ant That Lets You Know It’s Here
Odorous house ants are scavenger insects. Although their most obvious haunts are kitchens, they will seek out any region where food has been or is kept. They often go for food containing high amounts of sugar and carbohydrates, rather than foods that are mainly protein or fat. They tend to congregate in large numbers in one space so that they can carry food back to their nesting place to feed to the queen.
When these insects die, they give off a foul aroma that is often compared to the smell of stink bugs. Due to its power, the smell can linger for days. Although extermination may be necessary in some cases, it should only be used when other concurrent measures are put into place to reduce the odor the ants will give off.
How to Get Rid of Odorous House Ants
If odorous house ants are invading your home, you may find the following helpful:
- Hide the food: Keep food, especially high-sugar foods such as fruit, sealed tightly in the refrigerator and out of bedrooms.
- Prevent entrance: Seal cracks in walls, ceilings, and windows.
- Reduce nest building. Keep firewood away from your house. Firewood encourages nest building.
There are many insecticides and extermination methods employed by various pest control services that may help. These methods should be carried through as soon as an invasion has been noticed, as this will decrease the likelihood of an increase in the ants’ population.
