How to Get Rid of Odorous House Ants

Odorous house ants, also called sugar ants, are one of the most common types of ants found trailing through kitchens across the United States, especially during the spring and summer. If you step on them or crush them, these tiny bugs emit a strange odor that's been described as smelling like rotten coconut, blue cheese, or an odd pine scent. Instead, learn how to eliminate these bugs and their nests without the stink by using a few methods simultaneously.

What Do Odorous Ants Look Like?

Dark brown or black odorous house ants are tiny, measuring in at about 1/16 to 1/8 inches long but they are fast on their feet. Some odorous house ants do have wings for a very short time. In the spring or early summer (depending on the geographic area), these ants will swarm to breed. After mating, the female may return to the colony to lay her eggs or may venture out to start a new one.

What Attracts Odorous Ants?

This ant is most likely to enter homes after heavy rains when it is attempting to escape the flooding of its shallow ground nest. They will set up indoor nests that are moist and warm, such as around hot water pipes, under sinks, and inside walls. This ant is especially attracted to sweets, such as fruit juices and pastries, but it will also eat a variety of foods, including meats and pastries. During the summer, these ants will move their nests frequently in response to environmental conditions.

Signs of Odorous Ants

The most obvious sign that you have odorous ants is their distinct smell. They usually travel in lines, but if they are disturbed or alarmed they will run around erratically, releasing their odor as they run. Some people have also equated their odor with a sort of strange pine scent, though rotten coconuts are the most frequent association.

5 Ways to Get Rid of Odorous Ants

Place Bait (Most Effective)

Baits are usually the best option for eliminating ants that have entered the home. Ant baits can be purchased at most home and garden stores. Following all label directions, the bait should be placed where ants have been seen. Because ants can be finicky and prefer different types of foods at different times of the year, you may need to try different baits. But be patient. The ants will feed on the bait, then carry it back to the nest to feed the colony. It is through this feeding that the insecticide will be transferred to the queen and other colony members to kill them.

Use Sprays

Don't rely just on chemical or DIY sprays because they cannot do the entire job of removing these ants. Make a DIY spray by filling a spray bottle with liquid dish soap and water; the soap in the spray suffocates the ants on contact. Sprays simply kill the ants that you see but do not affect the nest. If you spray the ants you see indoors, you may kill the workers that are there but other ants will soon appear—having followed the scent trail laid down by the first set of ants.

Eliminate Pheromone Trails

Another very effective action you can take indoors is to remove scent trails that the ants have left behind. The scent, or pheromone trails, communicate to other ants where the food sources and nest are located. Erasing these trails prevents new ants from gathering in your home. A good DIY spray is a mix of 50/50 white vinegar and water in a spray bottle, shake, and spray it on ant trails and nearby spots where you saw the ants trailing. Do not wipe up the solution, let it dry naturally.

Treat Your Home's Perimeter

Applying a properly labeled insecticide around the outside perimeter of the home and under siding can help keep ants from crawling in. This can be done yourself, following all directions on the product label, or by a pest control service.

Treat the Nests

Odorous ants nest just about anywhere indoors, such as in walls, window frames, and insulation. If the ant nest can be found, it can be effective to treat the nest itself with a properly labeled insecticide. In some cases, however, the ant species will have multiple colonies, so treating a single nest will not relieve the problem. In addition, the queen odorous ant can withstand extreme temperature changes which makes it tough to kill her. For this reason, it is important to identify the species of ant you have before treatment.

How to Prevent Odorous Ants

The first step in ant control is keeping the ants out of your house in the first place. To keep ants out of your home:

• Trim back trees and shrubs away from the house to remove this access point. Ants will climb plants and find cracks and crevices through which the bugs can enter your home.
• Keep foods tightly covered and stored. Wipe counters and surfaces clean, as ants feast on tiny crumbs and grease.
• Do not leave pet food in bowls when pets are not eating—this provides an easy-access attractant for all kinds of ants—as well as other pests, such as mice, cockroaches, and flies.

When to Call a Professional To Treat an Odorous Ant Infestation

If despite your best DIY efforts you continue to see many of these tiny ants, you may need to call in a pest control professional. A pest control service will locate the nest and destroy it.