Are Odorous House Ants In Lake Orion Dangerous?

5/14/2021

Some ants don’t just look gross, they can even smell gross, too. Odorous house ants are common invaders that pack a punch to your nostrils and can lead to other problems. Learning how infestations start and what you can do to prevent them is crucial for all Lake Orion property owners.

Odorous House Ants: An Overview

Like most ant populations in Michigan, odorous house ants are attracted to properties because of the food, water, and shelter that they provide. They are small, black insects that can be found both out in your yard or crawling around your kitchen. They get their name from the fact that they produce a pungent odor when crushed or stepped on. The smell has been described as “coconut-like” but it’s definitely not the pleasant tropical smell that you find in candles and hair products. Instead, this is an odor that’s designed to ward off predators like birds and alert other odorous ants to the presence of danger.

So Are They Dangerous Or Not?

That’s the big question. Unlike carpenter ants that cause damage or fire ants that can injure you, odorous house ants aren’t considered dangerous pests. But with their smelly byproducts, odorous ants certainly pose unique problems that other nuisance ants don’t. They also pose all the same concerns as other pest populations. They will contaminate food sources directly or crawl all over the areas where we prepare and eat our meals. As with all ants, odorous ones also breed in large numbers, meaning their presence can attract other pests like spiders that hunt ants for food. Odorous house ants aren’t a problem you want to simply ignore.

Ant Prevention Tips For Your Property

Outright elimination of an existing ant population isn’t easy. For one, they tend to form outdoors, in tunnels below-ground that you can’t easily spot or identify. For another, even the strongest anti-pest products can fail to wipe out the ant queens that hide deep in the colony. Following elimination attempts, these queens simply spawn new populations to invade your property. That’s why early prevention is better than waiting for odorous ants to be noticeable before you act. Here are some common-sense steps you can take around your property:

• Food Storage: Since ants are attracted by food aromas, especially meats, and sugary foods, you need to make sure your food products are properly stored and cleaned up.
• Deep Cleaning: Speaking of cleaning, you shouldn’t just focus on the visible areas around your property. You also need to address crumbs and spills in those deep, dark areas, too, since ants can get at them a lot easier than you can.
• Trash Storage: This one’s tougher than it sounds because even trash cans with lids on them can be accessible to ants that simply fit through the crack where the lid meets the lip. Even still, you should pay attention to proper trash storage to avoid aromas that attract pests like odorous house ants.
• Crack Sealing: This is a way of reducing access points for tiny bugs. Frequently checking your exterior walls for holes or cracks, and addressing them as they arise, is a good way to address pest entry before it happens.

Let Experts Help Today

Keeping ants out of your Michigan property can seem impossible. These tiny bugs squeeze through tight spots and can find scraps to survive on no matter how clean you keep your property. That’s why the best form of pest protection comes from professional inspections and treatments that account for all the ways that pests invade. At Wells Pest Control, we offer protection against odorous house ants and a wide variety of other common species that can become more than a nuisance around your property. Let us schedule an inspection and formulate a home pest control plan that matches your property and budget. Reach out to Wells Pest Control today to get started on overall ant prevention.

Tags: odorous house ant information | odorous house ant prevention |

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