Odorous House Ants

Workers are all the same size, small, 1/8-inch long Dark brown to shiny black Thorax uneven in shape when viewed from side Very strong odor when crushed.

Habits
Odorous house ants like to eat sweets, especially melon.

Habitat
Live in shallow nests in soil under stones, wood, or debris -May nest in various habitats including wooded areas, beaches, wall voids, and around water pipes and heaters -Large colonies, with up to 10,000 workers and many queens.

Threats
These ants do not pose a public health risk, but they can contaminate food and should be avoided.

Prevention:
Prevention: Eliminate standing water. Pests such as odorous house ants are attracted to moisture. Keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the house. Sometimes pests use these branches to get into your home. Make sure that there are no cracks or little openings around the bottom of your house. Sometimes pests use these to get into your home. Make sure that firewood and building materials are not stored next to your home. Pests like to build nests in stacks of wood.