How to Get Rid of Odorous House Ants
Saw an ant on your table top and decided to crush it and when you move it near your face, there’s an odd smell to it? Well, that might just be an odorous house ant.
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ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS IDENTIFICATION
ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS DAMAGE
WHAT CAUSES ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS IN THE HOUSE
SIGNS OF ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS IN THE HOUSE
HOW TO FIND ODOROUS HOUSE ANT NEST
IS ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS DAMAGE COVERED BY HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE
REMOVING ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS NATURALLY
REMOVING ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS WITH CHEMICALS
HOW TO PREVENT ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS NATURALLY FROM COMING BACK
ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS IDENTIFICATION
The odorous house ant is scientifically known as a Tapinoma sessile and belong to smaller type of ants, they are not rare and are very much common. You can identify an odorous house ant through their color, size, shape, smell and if you look closely enough, their nodes. It’s appearance is not rare as they either have a dark brown or black color, as for their size, they are usually small and can go between 2-3 mm long and these ants might or might not have wings present. Their name is also because of the distinctive smell they have when they are crushed, their scent gives of a rotten coconut smell. Lastly, they only have one nodes in their body if you move nearer to get a look, it’s sometimes difficult to spot since it is hidden by their abdomen.
ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS DAMAGE
You don’t have to worry about your house getting ruined by these ants, they do not inflict any damage to its structure. Despite that, you should still be concerned of these odorous house ants, they may not be a threat to your house architecture but it can cause damage to your family and your pets. These ants might’ve fed on unclean food or have even been trudging along dirty places like the trash or sewer, this can cause your own food to be contaminated if they feed or gather from it.
WHAT CAUSES ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS IN THE HOUSE
It’s not rare for odorous house ants to be present in your home. There are simple to reasons as to what causes them to come to your home. Ants are usually on hunt for food, it’s likely that they were attracted to your home for this very reason. It’s also possible that they’ve gotten in because of the small cracks in your home that you can’t easily find, this creates a path for them to get in and gather the food and even water that they can find at your home. Another reason for having odorous house ants present is the heavy rain, somewhat like humans, they also seek for a dry place to live and if they’re lucky enough to find openings to your home then they would take the opportunity and trail inside.
SIGNS OF ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS IN THE HOUSE
One sign of an odorous house ant is if you spot a winged swarmer, it might just be one since these ants can have wings. Although sometimes, you won’t easily spot these odorous house ants, but you can have a hunch if they are present in your home with this obvious sign, if your house is being infested by these ants are the smell, they give off a distinctive smell of rotten coconuts, the ants release this scent whenever they sense danger or have been crushed.
If winged swarmers are found indoors, or if workers are consistently seen in great abundance, it likely indicates they are nesting within the house.
HOW TO FIND ODOROUS HOUSE ANT NEST
If you’ve seen signs of odorous house ants in your house, it’s not impossible that they already have a nest inside or outside your home. You can say that the nest is inside your home if there are multiple winged swarmers going round about your house but if only a small number of ants are seen then they are likely to be nesting outside the house. Don’t worry, you can still eliminate these ants, but before you can eliminate them, you have to find the main source where these ants are coming from.
Odorous house ants are just like every other ant, they have have a scout that leaves a trail of pheromones which each of them follows and therefore when they move, it’s not just an individual ant. The paths they have may either be in a zigzag or straight line, if the trail is still new, it’s likely to be a zigzag as when a scout looks for food, it doesn’t dive straight in to the source but rather searches around him. You can encounter a straight line of ants if they’ve been going on to the same path for a bit longer. It’s also possible to make them create a straight line if you’re going to bait them you just have to manipulate the source, in order for them to continue moving on the same spot. Make sure that there are no other sources or possible baits that the ants could be attracted to. Follow their route back and you’d find their nest.
IS ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS DAMAGE COVERED BY HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE
Have you ever wondered if your homeowners insurance can cover up the damage done by odorous house ants? Well, the answer is no. Generally, a homeowners insurance has a list of events that they cover such as your house getting hit by a lightning strike or a fire had suddenly sprung up in your home.
If you’ve accumulated damage from odorous house ants or any kind of pest, this is not included in the insurance. This is because, getting infestation is regarded as a problem related to home maintenance or how the owner keeps in check with the condition of his home.
REMOVING ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS NATURALLY
Now that you’ve discovered that you have odorous house ants in your home, it’s only normal for you to find a way to get rid of them. As we know, odorous house ants can easily get attracted to food especially sweet substances and meat and that’s why dealing with them naturally is the perfect way to get rid of them.
In getting rid of these types of ants, we can use simple items that might just be inside our homes or you can just buy them at a grocery near you. Different ways to remove them would be by using indoor sprays that are likely to be mixed with water or vinegar and essential oil or simply just water and essential oil, and placing peels of citrus fruits or scattering herbs and spices in areas where you can spot ants or their possible entrance way.
REMOVING ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS WITH CHEMICALS
There are many different ways you can remove odorous house ants and one of them is through the use of chemicals. There are many different types of materials you can use to remove those ants from your home, some of them are the Borax mixed baits, Insecticide Spray, Pesticides, Borax mixed products or even a dish washing soap and a sponge.
You can buy these types of products online or at a store near you, you can also DIY one. Borax is known to be an effective killer for ants but ants won’t easily eat on it, you have to mix a sweetening substance or anything that the ants might like and you have your own ant remover. Ant trails are also important to get rid of once the ants are gone, all you have to do is get a dish washing soap and put it on a sponge then rub it on the trail, it should help get rid of the remaining scents that the ants have left. This will rid of the ants way to go back to their food source. Using these items could be through spraying or placing it on ant spots.
HOW TO PREVENT ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS NATURALLY FROM COMING BACK
Now that you’ve finally gotten rid of those odorous house ants in your house, you can’t just sit there and wait for them to comeback. But, there could a possibility that they might come back and infest you once again while contaminating your food. It’s time to prevent that from happening, those ants should never come back to your home and this is how you can do it.
These odorous house ants wouldn’t ever have gotten inside your home if not for the openings in your house, these may either be small cracks, holes, leaking pipes, and the like. Make sure to seal those entrances as ants could easily slip into those. Another way those little ants could get it would be the shrubs, vines or branches that are near your home, make sure to either move those a little farther away from your home or cut them shorter.
Lastly, be sure to keep food, condiments, and the like sealed well or hidden properly. These sources are the primary reason why ants are attracted to your home. Never forget to keep the house clean and sanitized from the floor, to the tables and especially the dishes and bowls you and your pet used, and clean up any food particle that you see.
