DAILY PEST TIP Odorous house ants (Dolichoderinae - Tapinoma sessile) Odorous house ants are small dark reddish-brown to black ants and are monomorphic. They will follow each other in single file when entering a building. Outside they nest under objects such as rocks, boards, or any kind of debris. When they come in the home, they can nest in wall voids. If the house has a crawl space, they will nest in that area and come into the house to forage for food and water. Odorous house ants have multiple queens in a colony and hence, have large colonies. These ants are found in all of the continental United States and adjoining parts of Canada and Mexico. They are probably the most common ant found in homes, except in areas where Argentine ants live. They do not bite or sting. The body of the odorous house ant is relatively soft and can be easily crushed. When this occurs, a very unpleasant “coconut” odor is apparently released. An average Odorous House Ant colony will have 10,000 to 40,000 members and several queens. Mating and swarming takes place in the nest and new colonies are formed by budding. A good bait for controlling these ants indoors is two tablespoons each of peanut butter and jelly mixed with a teaspoon of boric acid or borax. A good commercial bait is Terro Ant Bait which is made from boric acid. Try to seal or caulk areas where they are entering your home. Exclusion is the best control for any pest. Liquid pesticides are not necessary.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Sep 2013 13:52:46 +0000
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