How To Get Rid Of Odorous House Ants Naturally

Although ants can provide many benefits to the environment, it isn’t very pleasant to see a group of them near you. Ants are part of the decomposition process in the environment as they can eat organic waste and even dead animals and insects.

Although ants can offer these advantages, it must be unpleasant for you to have them in your garden or, worse still, in your home. This is why you can use many natural methods to get rid of them before they become a danger to you and other members of your family.

In this guide, we’ll talk about:

• How to identify and inspect odorous house ants
• Where odorous house ants live in house
• Some other facts about odorous house ants
• Different, natural ways to get rid of odorous house ants quickly (and kill them)
• How to prevent odorous house ants from getting into your house
• And More

After reading, you should be able to keep them away from your home and deal with the problems that caused by odorous house ants.

What Are Odorous House Ants?

Odorous house ants can be quickly identified by their unique odor emitted when they are crushed. Odorous house ants are very small as they can measure approximately 3.25 millimeters. And as for their color, you can see dark brown or black.

This type of insect can live indoors and outdoors because it can withstand any environmental condition. In the United States, it is very common to see this type of smelly house ants, but they can also be seen in other parts of the world.

When house ants enter your home, it is in search of better weather conditions. And that is why they can be seen within your space in the fall season or during rainy weather.

How To Identify Odorous House Ants?

It is very common for people to crush it when they see an ant, but that moment can be very unpleasant if it is precisely the smelly house ants. These ants, when crushed, have a very fetid odor that is only characteristic of them.

Experts have compared this smell to that of rotten coconuts; however, each person resembles it to a different type of smell. Some may confuse odorous house ants with Argentine ants.

When an Argentine ant is crushed, its smell will be of humidity, while that of the domestic and is of rotten coconuts, and in this way, you will be able to identify them.

How do Odorous House Ants Reproduce

The Female Odorous House Ants in the nest lay only one egg daily. It requires an average of twenty-four days for the ants to reach adulthood. And the colony size of the house ants ranges from one hundred to then thousands of ants. Meanwhile, their large colonies contain a lot of active queens.

How to Inspect

• Nests

The nests are able to occur in a variety of situations. And these odorous house ants normally build the nests of theirs in wall voids, particularly around heaters and hot water pipes, in cupboards, sinks, crevices, and more. They’re discovered in exposed soil, typically shallow, frequently situated beneath a board, stone walk, brick, etc. They develop nests in cavities of forests as well as loose bark. Nests may be discovered in animal nests and bird nests. Additionally, they love to nest near the honey bee hives because of the warmth provided.

• Ant Trails

The odorous house ants along with other ants, lay down a substance trail of pheromones. And ant trails happen between food sources and nest sites. When baiting, it’s essential to search for their trails and put the bait there. And they forage for food night and day. Ant workers forage along identified trails. Search for their trails and potential nest sites.

They’re most likely to enter structures when their sweet source or honeydew melon source of food is decreased by natural occurrences, for example, autumn leaf fall or wet weather.

What Are Odorous House Ants Attracted To?

Smelly house ants are likely to enter your home during the rainy season or fall weather. When these types of ants enter your outdoor space, they are attracted to sources of moisture, and you may notice that they will nest near these conditions.

Smelly house ants are also attracted to spaces where there are hot water pipes, so they can also nest in heaters. Wood fixtures where termites cause leaks can also be a good space for them, so it will be important that you do a constant inspection throughout your home.

Are Odorous House Ants Dangerous?

According to experts, odorous house ants are not dangerous and only fall into the most annoying pests. When ants enter your home, they will search for your food, and once they come into contact with your food, they will contaminate it.

Although this type of insect is not dangerous, it can quickly cause an infestation because it will create nests in every area of ​​your home. And once this happens, the smelly house ants become a headache because they can be very difficult to eliminate.

Do Odorous House Ants Bite?

Odorous house ants are not distinguished by stinging or biting people because they are very small. These types of insects prefer to feed on foods that contain a lot of sugar, and even experts have not been able to determine how they defend themselves from other insects when they feel threatened.

If you handle an odorous house ant, it is not likely that it will bite you, and in such case, you would not have to worry as this species of ant is not dangerous.

Where Do Odorous House Ants Live?

Odorous house ants live in nests, and when they are in your home, there can be many of them all over your space without you noticing. When this type of ants begins to create their nests inside your home, they will look for those spaces with easy access to hot areas to withstand the temperatures during the cold season.

Scent ants’ nests can be found indoors, under toilet seats, indoor plants, and in attics. When smelly house ants are in outer space, they create their nests among rocks or create mounds in the ground for shelter.

How To Eliminate Odorous House Ants Naturally?

To get rid of odorous house ants, you can make use of the following natural products:

• Mix one part of borax with three parts of sugar. This bait can be applied to bottle caps or small containers and placed in areas where you think the nests of smelly house ants may be.
• Mix three tablespoons of borax, half a cup of sugar, and a cup of warm water. You can use this mixture on cotton and place them in hidden areas where house ants’ nests are. This idea is very efficient, especially if you have children or pets who may contact this mixture.
• I sprayed vinegar on the areas where I frequently saw the passage of smelly house ants. White vinegar is very effective in getting rid of ants, and you can leave it on surfaces until it dries, but you must use it frequently.

How To Prevent Odorous House Ants?

Follow these prevention tips to keep odorous house ants away from you:

• Don’t leave trash cans near the entrance of your home
• Do not leave woodpiles stored inside your home.
• Seal any crevices or cracks you find in your home structures
• Seal any gaps in pipes or utilities
• Clean the crumbs that may remain in your kitchen
• Don’t leave dirty dishes in your kitchen
• Trim trees near your home, as well as limbs
• Do not leave food open in your dispenser; you should store it in airtight containers
• Use crushed rock to create a barrier between your home and the lawn.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do ants move away on their own?

Unless you see only a couple of ants foraging for the food source – randomly milling around the countertops of yours. Typically in case you clean up the liquid, the ants will leave on their own.

Just how long do the odorous house ants live?

Little people are known about how long the odorous house ants can live, although it’s been proven that queens live a minimum of eight months (and perhaps a lot longer), workers no less than a couple of months (and clearly show every indication of lifestyle so long as queens), while male ants seem to live only about a week.

Why do you have ants in the room if there’s no food?

If water is not available in the colonies of theirs, they are going to look for other areas where they are able to get fresh food sources. That’s why if there is humidity in the house of yours, ants are attracted even when there is no food around. The ants are going to start to search for new water supplies.

What smell do the odorous house ants hate?

The peppermint is a pest repellent that will help you eliminate ants. Ants do not like the scent of peppermint and are very likely to stay away from places that have traces of it. And peppermint has a good aromatic that the ants don’t like, preventing them from getting into the house.

Does Apple cider vinegar kill the ants?

Though the apple cider vinegar can not kill the ants, it could prohibit the ants from looking for food and water.