Pest Library

Characteristics

The odorous house ants are famous for the unpleasant odor they emit when they disturbed or crushed. All of their workers have the same size - 1.8 inch long. They are dark brown to black, have an uneven shape thorax, and 1 node petiole. They do not have stings, but they can bite. However, their bite will not affect their victim because of their size.

Habitat

They can nest in different locations. Some odorous house ants may nest in soil while others may prefer wall voids. When they are found indoors, these ants will create nests in areas where the temperature is right. They may create nests around heaters and water pipes and inside wall voids. Outside, these ants will create shallow nests under stones, brick, branches of trees, sandy beaches, pastures and fields, and so on.

Behavior

These ants are commonly seen in kitchens travelling in lines in search for food. When these ants are disturbed while they are still on their line, they will break ranks and scatter as fast they can while emitting their famous odor that is similar to a rotten coconut.

Odorous house ants have the ability create large colonies. However, they try to maintain colonies that only has several thousands of workers, but with many queens. They do this by creating subcolonies. These ants prefer to move their nest site every few weeks, which makes them a total nuisance to control. Often, odorous house ants will create a main colony with many satellite nest sites controlled by dozens or hundreds of queens.

Food

They love the sweet honeydew produced by aphids, mealy bugs and plant hoppers. They will even protect the insect that produces their honeydew to get more of their food source. They are also pollinators since they regularly feed on flower nectars. However, they can also feed on a variety of food such as dead and living insects and sweets. When they forage in kitchens, they will prefer sweets than any other food.

Life Cycle

There are two ways for a new colony to be created. First, is through the process of swarming. During the summer months, nuptial flights will occur and the male and female reproductives will mate. After they mate, the female reproductive will search for a suitable place where she can lay her first batch of eggs. Before these eggs become adults, they will become a larvae and pupae, until they reach adulthood. Once they become adults, they will become workers that will tend to the queen and her larvae.

The second way is when a queen of the old colony decides it’s time to create her own colony. She may bring some of her workers with her and create her own nest. She will then start laying eggs to start the colony. After a while, new queens will also emerge and help her in creating more workers. This process is called budding. The new colony remains to be connected with the old colony since they can still exchange workers, larvae, and food to one another.

Other Information and Tips

In their natural habitat, these ants are beneficial and are even considered fascinating. However, when they come indoors and feed on our food, they are considered pests. These ants will feed on a variety of foods and sweets. If you want to eliminate them, prepare sweet bait treats for them to control their population.

While these ants are common in kitchens, they can also be located in the different areas of homes, especially in areas where foods are present. When these ants are inside, it will also mean that they have an outdoor nest that is just near your home. It is necessary to locate possible outdoor nests and provide them with the necessary baits or insecticides. It is not actually easy to locate their nesting sites so it will need a lot of effort for most homeowners to do so.

Photo: Tapinoma Sessile - Ant by Harsha K R, used under CC BY-SA 2.0 / resized from original