Odorous House Ants

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What do odorous house ants look like?

Odorous house ants get their name from the strong odor released if they are crushed.  These dark brown to black insects have workers that are 1/8 inch long.  They have 14 teeth with the first two teeth being enlarged at the tip of the mandible.  Key identifying features is an uneven thorax and a hidden node on the petiole.

Life cycle of odorous house ants

Complete Metamorphosis

Odorous house ants live in large colonies numbering up to 10,000 ants with multiple queens.  The ant will complete its development from egg to adult in 5-9 weeks during late spring and summer.  Times for each stage are 11-26 days for eggs, 13-29 days for larva and 10-28 days for pupa. 

Workers and females will live for several years. Males die within a few days of emerging. New colonies are formed through both nuptial flights and budding behavior.

Habits of odorous house ants

• Diet: Prefer sweets(honeydew excreted from plants) but will feed on dead or live insects.
• Activity: Workers are active 24 hours a day. They are active inside year round. More active in spring and summer outside.
• Preferred Climate: Temperatures ranging from 50-90 degrees.
• Defense: Produce 4-5 generations a year and spread in multiple ways aiding in successful colony survival.
• Cautions: Pungent smell excreted when crushed
• Home Invasion: These pests often enter the home from the outside which needs to be inspected even when you are discovering activity only on the inside. Nests will be found in soil often along the base of trees. Inside they will be in wall voids, beneath floors, and other voids.

Are odorous house ants dangerous?

Odorous house ants do not sting or bite, but can become annoying, traveling indoors in large numbers.

Where do odorous house ants nest?

Odorous house ants often nest in soil under stones, patio blocks, and mulching plastic. Inside homes, they are commonly found in wall voids and under floors.

Helpful hints for odorous house ants

To make your property less appealing to odorous house ants, we recommend the following ant prevention tips:

• Keep tree trimmed so branches do not touch the house and create a highway into your home
• Caulk cracks and crevices where these ants and other pests may be able to enter the home
• Practice good sanitation habits
• Eliminate potential food sources
• Maintain regular pest control services

Interesting facts about odorous house ants

Odorous house ants often coexist in bee colonies.  Bees are not negatively affected and the ant benefits from the heat bees produce.

How do you get rid of odorous house ants?

If odorous house ants have infested your home, contact Northwest Exterminating for effective pest control services in the Phoenix metro as well as in Tucson and throughout Southern Arizona.