Odorous House Ant
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See
lancaster.unl.edu/enviro/ants/OdorousAnt.htmThey get their name from the rotten coconut odor they emit if crushed. A
typical colony has around 10 000 members including multiple queens.
These ants will produce winged swarmers as do most type of ants. The
normal swarming activity is from mid May through mid July. Workers and
queens can live for several years.
They like to nest outdoors under stones, hollow logs, and similar
objects. This ant also likes to harborage in the nests of larger ants.
Different colonies are not aggressive toward each other. Indoors they
like to harborage around heat sources such as hot water pipes and heater
also sink areas.
They prefer to eat sweet items. As with most ants, they won’t pass on
meat type items. They will nurture and tend to honey dew-producing
insects such as aphids, scale insects, and mealy bugs. When this
honeydew is in short supply they will venture indoor by way of utility
lines and pipes in search of food.
An interesting characteristic of these ants is the way they act when
alarmed. They will run around in an erratic manner with their abdomen
raised similar to the way Acrobat Ants behave when startled.
Control is a multi step process. Try to remove as much excess leaf and
wood debris to minimize harborage sites. Trim back any landscape plant
branches or limbs so they do not use this as a bridge to the structure.
Repair any gaps, cracks, or holes on the exterior of the structure to
minimize entryways and harborage sites.
******There are several residual products in the form of aerosols,
liquids, and granules that are labeled to control ants. This is not the
best type of products to use unless you have to gain immediate control
in a particular area. This type of treatment kills the ones you see but
has no effect on controlling the problem from where it starts, the
colony, which is behind the wall, under the slab, or under some other
object. Baits are most effective with ants because the workers take the
bait to the larvae where they process the particle bait to a liquid or
the workers transfer the liquid to the other colony members and control
is achieved in this manner. Baits in general are the best method for
ant control.******
There are different methods of control. These include bait application,
residual spray, and granule application. The residual may be in the form
of aerosols or liquids. The baits may be in the form of a gel or
particle. I prefer the particle bait method because the ants you see
take it to the ants you don’t see and the Niban products in particular
because the particles are water resistant through up to 4 inches of
water. They contain protein and carbohydrate food attractants on the
particles. Sometimes ants have a protein or meat preference and
sometimes they have a carbohydrate or sweet preference. This bait works
well through sprinkler cycles, rain, or heavy dew. The particle size is
about the same size as a lot of the organic matter they typically feed
on. It also controls other pests such as Roaches, Crickets, and Earwigs,
which are found in the same general area as ants. This could applied at
the foundation perimeter of the structure, landscape areas, and yard
areas. It could also be appl ied in the structure in areas such as
warehouse or storage areas, behind large items, sink pipe void areas,
inside light and electrical switch plate covers, inside bath tub over
flow cover areas if accessible, under base boards, garages, out
buildings, and sheds. These include
Niban FG Insect Bait 1 lb. btl,
Niban Insect Bait 5 lb. Shaker Bag,
Niban Insect Bait 40 lb. Bag. The snuffers work great for
the interior void areas because it has an extended tip to reach inside
these areas.
Other particle bait products include
Maxforce Fine Granular Insect Bait 10 oz. btl,
Maxforce Fine Granular Insect Bait 6 lb. Btl,
Maxforce Granular Insect Bait 10 oz. btl ,
Maxforce Granular Insect Bait 6 lb. btl,
Maxforce Granular Insect Bait 25 lb. btl,
Advance Granular Ant Bait 12 oz. btl, and
Advance Granular Ant Bait 6 lb. btl. The best way to apply particle baits is with a
14 oz.Centrobulb Duster.
For ant activity on the inside there are good gel products such as
Maxforce Ant Gel Bait 60 gram Tube each,
Maxforce Ant Gel Bait 60 gram tube 3/box,
Maxforce FC Ant Gel Bait 30 gram Tube each,
Maxforce FC Ant Gel Bait 30 gram Tube 4/box,
Uncle Albert’s Super Smart Ant Bait 43 gram Tube,
Terro Ant Killer Gel Bait 16 oz. Btl,
Ant Cafe Bait Stations 8/pk are small empty stations you
can fill with liquid, gel, or particle baits. This provides a good
container to place where needed. Some people like to use their own
“recipe” of ingredients for ants and other small insects.
Phantom Termiticide-Insecticide 21 oz. btl is for interior use only at
specified areas.
Termidor SC Termiticide-Insecticide 20 oz. btl is
for exterior use only at specified areas and intervals. Termidor and
Phantom are liquid ant bait concentrates. The Termidor is available to
Pest Control Operators with proof of Termite License.
Bait Stations are another control option these include
Advance Dual Choice Ant Bait Stations 6/pk,
Dual Choice Ant Bait Stations 36 ct Bag,
Terro PCO Ant Killer Bait Stations 7/bag,
Terro PCO Ant Killer Bait Stations 28 ct Box. Sometimes these don’t work as fast
as placing gels, liquids, or particle baits right at the activity area.
People tend to leave these out too long and they pick up particles of
cleaning supplies or other contaminates which makes them not as
attractive as a food item. These also need to be placed out for a
problem then taken back up within a week or so to keep them as fresh as
possible. They need to be stored in a re-sealable plastic bag to keep
the freshness then used as necessary.
Aerosol control products include both residual and contact materials.
Residual products leave behind material to remain active for a further
length of time. Residual products include items such as
Cy- Kick 17.5 oz. can,
Invader HPX 14 oz. can, and
D-Force HPX 14 oz. can. Contact products include items such as
PI 18 oz. can,
PT 565 Plus 20 oz. can,
CB 80 Extra 17 oz. can.
Liquid residual concentrates are mixed with water at label rates as
needed. These are products such as
Demand CS 8 oz. or
Demand CS 1 qt.,
Suspend SC 1 pt.,
Tempo SC 240 ml,
Tempo Ultra WP 420 gram btl,
Talstar Pro 1 pt. or
Talstar Pro ¾ gal,
Viper 4 oz.,
Demon WP 4-9.5 gram bags per pk,
Demon WP 1 lb. jar,
Demon EC 1 pt.,
Cy-Kick CS 1 pt. or
Cy-Kick CS 120 oz..
Viper RTU is a ready to use pre mixed product in a 1
gal. container with a handy sprayer attached to a 1-foot hose. These
materials can be applied with a
1 gal. Poly Sprayer or a
2 gal. Poly Sprayer. For foundation perimeter application or yard application
use a
Gilmour Hose End Sprayer Model 486 or a
Gilmour Hose End Sprayer Model 362. The mound drench method works by slowly applying
the material so it runs down the tunnels from the top to the bottom.
Sometimes this does not completely reach all the tunnels and the ants
could escape and shift over to build new tunnels to the top.
Another control method is insecticide granules. These materials include
Talstar PL 25 lb bag and
Delta Gard 20 lb. bag. These
products are applied with a hand spreader such as a
Scotts Handy Green 2 Hand Spreader. These materials work well when applied and even
better when watered in. They are applied at the foundation perimeter and
yard areas.
Applying insecticide dust in the void areas such as gaps, cracks, or
holes in walls or other areas is a good control measure after the
immediate problem is controlled. The weep holes could use an application
also this would control pests entering through this area. These products
include
Delta Dust 1 lb. btl,
Delta Dust 5 lb. btl,
Borid 1 lb. btl, or
Borid 5lb. btl. The insecticide dust is best
applied with a
Crusader Hand Duster. The dust works by applying a
light amount in the target area. The pests then walk across it, picks it
up on their body then ingests the dust as they and other nest mates
groom themselves. The dust is a stomach poison and control is completed
in this manner. If too big of a placement is applied they will avoid the
area. A lot of social insects will detect sickness or exposure to
poisons in members and will kill them before they can affect the whole
colony.
Copper mesh is a good product to fill the weep holes with. Since it is
made of copper it won’t leave streaks down the foundation and the mesh
is wide enough to allow adequate ventilation behind the bricks. This
includes products such as
Stuf-Fit Copper Mesh 20 ft. roll,
Stuf-Fit Copper Mesh 20 ft. Precut, and
Stuf-Fit Copper Mesh 100 ft. Roll.
Glueboards are a good tool to use because they serve to control the
insect, monitor for activity and if any is found observe which way the
insect is captured. This will allow you to backtrack to find possible
harborage areas or entryways. We carry
Catchmaster CM MB 72 72 ct box,
Catchmaster CM MB 72 8 ct pk, or
Trapper LTD 72 ct box.
Always read and follow label directions. For additional information call
us at 972-562-9999, 903-891-8818, or 866-562-8999 to Do It Yourself Pest Control Treatment.
