Ants

Ants cause various types of damage, depending upon the variety. Carpenter ants tunnel through wood, destroying structures. Pharaoh ants may transmit serious diseases. A fire ant’s sting is potentially deadly to susceptible individuals, and all ants contaminate the food they infest.

Pest Control Services For Ants

Ants build massive colonies, so their presence is generally detected when you see their nests, or the ants themselves. Treatments involve baiting, insecticide, and sealing off entry to buildings.

Odorous House Ants Tapinoma sessile (Say)

Color: Brown or black
Legs: 6
Shape: Segmented; oval
Size: 1/16-1/8
Antennae: True
METAMORPHOSIS: Complete

This ant gets its name from the strong, rotten coconut-like smell it gives off when crushed. These tiny insects range in size from one-sixteenth of an inch to one-eighth of an inch long.

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

Habitat:
Typically living for several “months,” these ants make their home in a variety of areas both indoors and outdoors.

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

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 the house. Sometimes pests use these to get into your home. Make sure that firewood and building materials are not stored next to the home. Pests like to build nests in stacks of wood.