What is a household ant, and what does it look like?

Household ants are also known as odorous house ants or sugar ants, and they are not easy to control. There are some things you should know about ants that cause them to be a much bigger problem than you might have originally thought.

Ants enter through tiny cracks in your home, looking for food or water. If you have a nest of ants anywhere near your home, you are open to an ant infestation. Some ant colonies can grow as large as 500,000 ants, and they have no problem moving if they feel it’s necessary. This is why DIY ant exterminations don’t typically work since they don’t account for the hundreds of thousands of ants you can’t see.

Ants are some of the smallest and most common pests, and they typically go unnoticed until you have an infestation in your home. There are plenty of DIY products and in-store remedies to help you get rid of ants. With that being said, the most effective method of elimination and prevention is hiring professionals who specialize in pest control.

Ants are eusocial insects, meaning that they live and function in highly organized communities that cooperate for reproduction and labor purposes. There is a diverse array of ant species (approximately 22,000) with different appearances and habitats. You can easily identify ants from their elbowed antennae, which are brown/black/red in color and small in size. Odorous house ants (household ants) are easily identified for the strong smell of rotten coconut that is exuded when they are squashed. They are dark brown/black in color, have one node, and are generally 2.4 mm long.

What are the signs of a household ant infestation?

Household ants are a very common household problem. They are usually drawn to homes to scavenge food and water. They are attracted by sugar, meat, and cheese, among many other household foods. These ants are very easy to locate and can be found on kitchen benchtops, in cupboards, or poorly sealed food.

Are household ants dangerous? Are household ant bites dangerous?

Household ants aren’t dangerous to humans, but they can quickly become a serious nuisance because they can cause widespread food contamination in the home. Household ant bites, although rarely deadly, can become increasingly annoying, especially in young children. For these reasons, once you find a household ant infestation in your home, you need to start the extermination immediately. The most important thing to keep in mind when treating an ant infestation is that you need to identify the ant species to eradicate the colony using the correct method. Sugar or protein-based baits and chemical sprays are effective against the household variety of ants, but some problem cases may require a professional exterminator.