ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS

Identification, Facts, & Control

Latin Name

Tapinoma sessile

Appearance

1/8' long and dark brown to black in color

Odorous House Ant - Similar in size and habits to the Argentine ant, but is somewhat darker in color. And it has the odor of rancid butter when it is crushed. Smashing with the finger and smelling is the usual way to assure the identification of the odorous ant. They enjoy sweet foods (like the Argentine ant) and are thus commonly found in the kitchen of a residence.

Control of the Odorous House Ant:

• Locating the nest is well worth the effort by first searching outside for a nest, if the nest is found then a simple residual pesticide will work well.
• These ants have food habits similar to that of the Argentine ant. However, the odorous ant has a much more localized colony than that of the Argentine ant. It is therefore imperative for the control of this ant to find and treat the nesting site.

Click on a species of ants below to learn further information.

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