Odorous house ants are the skunks of the ant world. Many of us have never even heard of these smelly little ants. However, if you encounter a colony of them, you will be able to tell what they are based on the strange rotten coconut-like scent they give off. These ants are more than just a smelly nuisance. The presence of these ants in your home can lead to several negative health effects, namely from food contamination and allergies. In order to protect your family from these invasive ants, it is important to be able to identify them and prevent them from entering your home.
Like most ants, odorous house ants are very small, reaching only about ⅛ of an inch in length. You may see one scurrying across your kitchen counter and swat at it thinking that your problem is solved. However, these little ants live in colonies, so where you spot one, there are like many more close by. These ants forage for food both day and night, so you may spot them at any time during the day. The most distinguishing characteristic about these ants is the distinct rotten coconut odor they emit when they are crushed.
The biggest issue odorous house ants cause is food contamination. Since these ants are so small, they can get into just about anything that is not sealed in airtight containers. They enjoy feeding on meats and foods with a lot of sugar such as fruits, jellies, and syrups. These ants will also feed on pastries, dairy products, vegetables, pet food, and other insects. These ants contaminating the food sources in your home can lead to two main problems: 1.) this contamination makes you waste a lot of money on food because you’ll have to throw out any pantry products that were contaminated, 2.) these ants can transfer salmonella and other bacteria to your food and the surfaces in your home and make you sick. An additional problem with odorous house ants is that they can trigger allergies in some people, causing their presence to be not just unpleasant, but a health issue as well.
Avoiding odorous house ants in your New Jersey home can be quite difficult without the help of a pest control professional. Arrow Pest Control has been helping homeowners for over 40 years and have a vast knowledge of the best pest control techniques. We offer several service plans for you to choose from to help eliminate a variety of pests from your property, including odorous house ants. While DIY techniques such as storing all food in airtight containers and keeping sticky spills cleaned up can help reduce pests problems, it won’t solve the problem! Only the experts at Arrow Pest Control can help you eliminate these annoying and dangerous odorous house ants.