Odorous House Ant

Odorous ants are also very common in households in Canada. These ants have derived their name from the rotten odor they exude. Identifying this odor is still a matter of serious debates with odor contenders ranging from blue cheese to rotten coconut and almost everything in between. But apart from the odor, another important thing about them is the nuisance they create when they attack a household.

Appearance

Apart from being smelly, these ants are very small too. Their length can be between 2.4mm and 3.25mm. They have black or dark brown body and a thorax which is unevenly shaped. They only have one node on petiole, which is hidden by the abdomen. However, the major characteristic of these ants is they foul odor they emit when they are crushed.

Habitat

The colonies of odorous ants can range from a few hundred workers with one queen to thousands of them with several queens. The queen in their colonies can produce hundreds of ants with reproducing ability and several thousand workers.

These ants can be found outdoors and indoors. This is one of those species of ants which can live virtually anywhere, irrespective of the temperature or moisture. Outdoors, their colonies can be found in shallow soil under boards, stones, debris, mulch, etc. Indoors, they can be found under sinks, heaters, beneath floors and behind cabinets. They generally invade properties in fall or rainy season.

Outdoors, these ants can eat seeds, insects, plant secretions, etc. These ants are known to be very fond of the honeydew produced by insects, like aphids. Indoors, they can feed on meats, sweets, dairy products, fruit juices, raw vegetables, etc. While searching for food, odorous ants establish their trails along the cabinets, kitchen counters, baseboards, and sinks. Due to their foraging, they very often contaminate the food supplies indoors. While odorous ants do not bite or sting, they can quickly become highly persistent pests which can travel indoors in very large numbers.

What to do when odorous ants attack your property?

Ant baits can be used to treat the ant menace. As these ants are fond of feeding on sweet things, many of the ant baits especially designed for these ants contain water, borax, and sugar. Apart from such baits, there are also sprays which can be used to control the problem.

However, it is important to know that the ants which can be generally seen indoor are just workers looking for food. Even if hundreds of workers are eliminated, hundred others will take their place to continue the search. So, it is very important to first find their colonies and relocate their queen to effectively treat this problem.

Mega Pest Control for Professional Odorous Ant Removal

If the infestation is severe and you are unable to find any considerable results with the products or methods you have used till date, get in touch with Mega Pest Control to get rid of the problem.

With years of experience in the field, it is not very difficult for us to understand the areas where these ants might have established their nests. Once the nests are located, we relocate their queen and use a variety of products and methods to provide effective results. Our professional team of ant removers is equipped with a variety of tools and products which can provide property owners in Vancouver and Abbotsford with highly effective results.

Even after the ants are eliminated from the property, we again visit the property after an interval to make sure that the problem is solved for good. Apart from this, we also look for other factors that might be attracting these ants to your property and offer effective tips and solutions to make sure that the menace is never repeated in future.