Odorous house ants are notorious for leaving scent trails into homes and buildings to find food sources, often after periods of heavy rainfall. Although these ants do not bite, they are easily controlled using baited products like ant baits.
Start by inspecting your home to pinpoint where odorous ants enter and placing ant baits accordingly.
Place Bait Disks
Odorous house ants (commonly referred to as “coconut ants”) are one of the main pests found in US households. Unfortunately, these hard-working ants can be hard to control. Sometimes, even after having their abdomens crushed, they continue working!
Their name derives from their strong, unpleasant odor when crushed or stepped on. Theodor has been described as similar to that of rotten coconut or blue cheese, and many people try to avoid these pests due to their unpleasant odor.
Odorous house ants travel day and night on trails, searching for food and shelter. Their sweet tooth draws them to sweet foods like honeydew as well as pastries, meats, fats, dairy products, and fruit juice—making them major pests in pantries.
When outdoors, they create nests in warm, damp environments like wall voids and crevices/ They also settle around water pipes, sinks, and cupboards. When heavy rainfall arrives, they enter houses to avoid flooding conditions— once inside, they often set up trails along kitchen counters, cabinets, and sinks.
Ant bait stations offer professional-grade bait that attracts insects while dispensing an effective dose of insecticideto combat house ants that emit an offensive scent in your home.
Before initiating treatment, it is crucial to inspect and identify all foraging trails, nests, and colonies used by the ants. This will enable you to focus your treatment efforts accordingly.
Spray the Exterior of Your Home
As these ants forage for food and water throughout the day and night, they can contaminate food by wandering into kitchens in search of raw fruits, vegetables, and meats. Nesting near water sources such as hot water heaters and sinks also causes problems with these pesky pests.
To prevent odorous house ants from entering your home, remove food attractants and seal cracks and crevices. Remove moisture-prone yard debris like wood shavings, mulches, logs, and brick piles from moisture sources outdoors. Professionals like the ones at Hadow Pest Solutions can help by carrying out this work for you. Furthermore, they have specialized tools and knowledge to assist them in this task.
Consider planting catnip, lavender, and peppermint plants that repel these ants. Trim back branches that touch building walls to decrease their activity and access to structures.
Spraying liquid insecticide can provide long-term control of odorous house ants, but they must also be treated indoors and outdoors to be effective. When choosing liquid bait, be sure to place it where ants have been seen regularly— monitor for activity each day and replaceit when depleted.
Seal Up Cracks and Spaces
Ants can be an inconvenient nuisance that damages property and food sources.
Are you familiar with leaving even the tiniest sweet crumb or drop of syrup lying around, only to return later and find an army of sugar ants feasting on it? Most homeowners have experienced this nuisance pest.Although not dangerous, sugar ants can still be annoying and damaging to property.
Sugar ants are small insects that can gain entry to your house through cracks in brickwork and foundations, narrow openings around thresholds and utility connections, as well as open doors. Sugar ants have also been known to enter restaurants or businesses receiving frequent deliveries through chutes that connect directly to dumpsters or trash cans.
Sugar ants can quickly find their way into any house when moisture is present, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom. Sugar ants are drawn to any drops of moisture on countertops or sinks and condensation on the refrigerator. Dishwasher water lines that form water droplets on them can also draw sugar ants.
If sugar ants enter your home, a thorough inspection must be done to identify their entry point and nest sites.
You can reduce ant invasions by eliminating sources of standing water on your property, sealing cracks in walls and floors, removing tree debris that provides shelter to form mounds. You can alsouse products designed to deter them, such as garlic cloves, bay leaves, or used coffee grounds that release strong scent trails to dissuade ants from returning. Food-grade diatomaceous earth may be an effective deterrent and it remains safe both for humans and pets alike! —as long as it is not inhaled for a long period of time. You can click the link: https://www.thespruce.com/ to learn more.
Although these ants don’t bite directly, they may release formic acid when crushed against the skin, which causes itching or irritation. This sting is done by the ants using the formic acid gland in their abdomens before being propelled through their mouth and legs as they jet towards their attackers, causing them to flee or die as quickly as possible.
People typically come into contact with formic acid by inhaling its vapors, which can lead to respiratory symptoms like coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
Furthermore, its chemicals may be absorbed through skin absorption— leading to severe chemical burns. Its fumes may irritate the eyes, leading to permanent eye damage. While ingestion can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and kidney and liver failure. You can visit this site to learn more.
Make Your Home Pest Free
To avoid odorous house ants from invading your home, thoroughly inspect its exterior for mounds or any signs they are present. Seal any gaps or cracks found in the foundation with caulk to keep out these pests. Odorous house ants are a nuisance. Pest control professionals can help you to eliminate them from your home.
