The #1 Pest Complaint in the multi-family Industry
Odorous House Ant (Tapinoma sessile) Description of Workers: Small workers, around 1/16-inch to 1/8-inch (2-3 mm); dark brown to black. Bitter odor when crushed - said to smell like rotten coconuts.
Most common structure-invading ant in Washington and Oregon. They nest in a wide variety of places outdoors and inside. These ants are known for constructing shallow nests in soil underneath objects, such as stones, patio blocks and debris outdoors in the warmer regions of the US. Inside, they prefer areas with moisture such as around hot water pipes, heaters and most wall voids of any structure. Odorous house ants have multiple queens in each colony and the colony can number as many as 600,000 ants. The ants forage for food in all types of weather and temperatures down to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. HABITS: A scout ant in search of food leaves the nest and, in the random search pattern that follows, takes a somewhat meandering path outward, until she finds food. She then feeds on the food source and heads straight back to the nest. Somehow on the outgoing trip she can keep track of her position with respect to her nest, and, on the return trip, uses this information to take the shorter, more direct route home. On the way back to the nest, she lays down an odor trail. Once back in the nest, this scout ant then alerts her nest mates of the food find, which encourages them to leave the nest. These recruited ants will follow the odor trail directly to the food source. In turn, each ant will reinforce the odor trail until the food is gone. This behavior is a highly efficient means of exploiting a temporary food resource.
Think of the way you take to the nearest fast food place that you may frequent. This is no different then you taking a walk or a drive to get food. You know the route to take.
In some instances, these odor trails can become more or less permanent, as in the case of ants that are visiting permanent food sources such as an aphid colony, garbage area, and other sites in structures with permanent food and water. The trail can even be physically cut into the turf, as with carpenter ants that chew their way through the thatch layer. This is not much different then us making a road or a freeway from one town to another. It is well known and easily traveled.
These pesky invaders can be controlled in your units. The control takes cooperation and repeat applications for some time but in the end the population can be eliminated. Then you can stop them from returning by treating the outside with the right products and at the right time. Timing and education is the key to treating these pests. Bug Busters has been very successful in control and keeping control of these ants.
Call our Office for more information on these ants. 1-888-836-5776 1-888-467-1557
