Odorous House Ants Are Making Their Fall Visit

Do you have a sudden influx of ants in your kitchen? Are they small, 1/8th inch in size, and brown? Do they smell like rotten coconut when you squish them? Chances are you have odorous house ants coming inside looking for a meal and a drink. Ants are not just a concern for the spring months; they have been known to come inside looking for food and shelter any time of the year. Some people report an increased presence of them in the fall months, which may be because of the leaves dropping off the trees, which decreases their natural food source of honeydew. Either way, any time of year that ants are in your house; it is not a welcomed sight.

There are a few things that you can do to try to deter them from continuing to come inside for free room and board:

• Repair or replace any torn or damaged window and door screens.

• Install or repair door sweeps on all exterior doors.

• Repair any cracks or crevices in door thresholds or replace them.

• Pick up pet food when possible.

• Clean up all spills and food crumbs immediately.

• Rinse food and food residue off dirty dishes and wash dishes quickly.

• Store all food in sealed containers or in the refrigerator.

• Regularly sweep and mop floors in kitchen and dining areas.

• Keep lids on all trash cans locked and remove trash daily.

• Regularly check your plumbing fixtures and pipes for any sweating that may be causing puddles or any leaks.

• Caulk/fill around utility entrances into your home.

Even if you have only seen a couple of ants, and have been successful in squashing them, you most likely have many more where they came from. The ones that you were able to squish were just not as good at being sneaky as the others. Ant colonies can consist of thousands of workers and usually many queens. These ants can make the wall voids in your home into their home. No one wants that. The one and only way to get rid of them is to get them at the colony level. You could stand in your kitchen all day long for days on end and kill every ant that came at you and still not rid yourself of the problem, the colony.

Colony eradication is our specialty! Here at All-American Pest Control we have been terminating and controlling odorous house ants and all other household pests in Tennessee for over 50 years. We know how to get your house ant free. The holidays will soon be upon us, and no one wants to do their holiday cooking with ants in the kitchen. It’s unsafe and unsanitary. Give us a call today and we will have you ant free in no time.