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Early warning signs - Odorous House Ants
 Odorous house ants are small ants, about 1/8th long and black or dark brown in color. They are found throughout the United States and Washington is no exception. They get their name from the nasty rotten coconut-like smell that is given off when they are crushed. In the spring as the weather starts to warm up after being dormant for most of the winter the ants start to search for food and reestablish their feeding routes. As they do, look for these early warning signs to determine if you have a potential odorous house ant problem.
While odorous house ants generally build their nests outdoors preferring to live in the soil under stones, logs, mulch, debris, etc. their nests can also be found indoors in wall and floor spaces, particularly in moist or warm areas. Few other pests rival them as nuisances as they can show up in many parts of a house although they tend to favor the kitchen where they enjoy feeding on sweets and meats. Further exacerbating the problem is the fact that if you try to eradicate them with a common insecticide spray, they merely split their nest into two and the problem becomes even more difficult to handle.
If only a few workers (wingless ants) are observed in the house it is generally an indication that they are nesting outdoors and entering the house in search of food. However, if winged swarmers are found indoors or if workers are consistently seen in great numbers particularly along well-traveled trails, the likelihood is that they are nesting within the house.
Your Cascade technician will look for these conditions and notify you if they find any problems as part of your Cascade Inspect and Protect service.
Contact us if you have any questions or concerns. You can also reach us at 888.989.8979.
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| © 2009 Cascade Pest Control, a div. of Treftz Corporation. All rights reserved. - 14950 SE Allen Road, Bellevue, WA 98006 |
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