Just recently Arrow was contacted by a Montclair homeowner who was seeing small ants all over his home. As America’s number one pest problem and a common summer pest issue in New Jersey, it comes as no surprise that his home was being invaded by an army of ants. The question remained though, what were these ants and why were they a problem? Let’s find out.
Let us introduce you to odorous house ants AKA sugar ants
Unlike in Australia where the banded sugar ant lives, in the U.S., sugar ants refer to a group of ants that are attracted to sweet foods. While there a few types of ants that may fall into this category, here in New Jersey, the odorous house ant earns the title most often. Small in size, odorous house ants are dark brown to black in color and are known for the rotten coconut smell they give off when crushed between fingers. Pleasant right?
Another key in identifying odorous house ants- how they move. Odorous house ants run fast and erratically traveling along established foraging trails that lead to food sources.
What do these ants eat?
Odorous house ants prefer foods that are sweet; they also enjoy meat. Kitchen floors, counter tops, and cupboards that have stray crumbs or spills are potential hot spots for odorous house ants but any place they can find food is ideal. A dirty cereal bowl in the sink, a trash can, a food wrapper left behind on the table, food or grease that has lodged between the stove and counter- you get the point.
Where do they nest?
Because odorous house ants enter homes (and businesses) looking for food, it makes sense that they would establish nests near their food source. It drastically cuts down the commute time after all.
Inside, odorous house ants also set up nests in areas that are warm and in close proximity to moisture. Common interior nesting sites include:
- Wall voids
- Beneath floors and carpets
- Behind paneling
- Inside appliances
- Around heaters and hot water pipes
- Around sinks and cupboards
Sugar ants/odorous house ants often show up in other parts of a house including bathrooms and bedrooms and it’s not always because food is present. They may be looking for moisture too.
Odorous house ants will build nests outdoors typically under rocks, landscape timbers, and mulch, and crawl inside using cracks in the foundation, gaps around doors and windows, and other holes that make entry possible.
What you should do if you’ve discovered sugar ants
If, like our Montclair homeowner, you’ve discovered sugar ants inside your home, the best way to take care of the problem is to reach out to Arrow Pest Control. A locally owned and family-operated pest control company serving several New Jersey counties including Essex, Middlesex, and Morris, our team of licensed pest control pros are always ready to exterminate ants- no matter which type!
How our exterminators get rid of sugar ants
In order to get rid of sugar ants, accurate identification is necessary. For the most part (size and coloring aside), all ants in New Jersey look similar. How they are treated though can be very different; eliminating a carpenter ant infestation or a pavement ant problem differs quite a bit from eradicating sugar ants.
Once your FREE home evaluation is on the books, we’ll dispatch one of our ant control pros to your home to conduct a thorough investigation. Upon completion of our inspection, your technician will explain findings, recommend a plan of action, and take care of the problem when you give the greenlight!
Ongoing Home Protection Is The Best Way To Keep Sugar Ants Away
When you sign up for an ongoing home pest control plan with Arrow, you can count on our team to keep sugar ants and 30+ common house-infesting pests out of your home. It is the best way to protect your home and family from damages and health concerns associated with insects and rodents, starts as low as $35/month, and includes The Arrow Promise – if covered pests return in between service visits, we’ll come back to re-treat at no charge.
Home Protection Program
Service consists of the elimination of your current pest or rodent problem, complemented by both interior and exterior year-round protection of your home, which is inclusive of three seasonal visits. The program covers your entire property including attics, mailboxes, playsets, sheds, and fences.
Pests targeted with Arrow’s Home Protection Plan services include ants (excluding carpenter ants, pharaoh ants and acrobatic), bees, boxelder bugs, carpenter bees, carpet beetles, centipedes, cicada killers, clover mites, crickets, digger bees, earwigs, fabric & paper pests, fleas (inside only), ground beetles, hornets, mice, pillbugs, millipedes, rats, roaches, silverfish, sowbugs, spiders, springtails, stored product pests, and wasps.
*If you have a pool house that requires service, pricing would increase based upon the size of the structure.
or call now (732) 844-8640
