Warm weather brings out Nuisance Ants- Odorous house ants and pavement ants.

Wenatchee Home and pest inspection services

As a home inspector and structural pest inspector I get asked about those pesky little nuisance ants quite often. As a structural pest inspector I am not so worried about them from the standpoint that they will do harm to the house. But they really can be a bit of a pain when they are getting into the home. I just went through a recent bout with them.

The most troublesome nuisance ants in Washington State are the Odorous House Ant (also known as the Sugar ant) and the Pavement ant. The Odorous House Ants get their name from the stench they produce when squished. Some say they smell like a rotten coconut or rancid butter.

There are other ant species that can come into the home such as the Argentine ant and the Pharaoh ants but are not quite as common.  Then there are Moisture ants (yellow ants and cornfield ants) that can cause some damage but they are related to moisture issues in the home. Thatching ants are mound builders made up of small sticks outside. They can occasionally wander inside buildings.

Those ants that are coming indoors are usually looking for human and pet food. Odorous House Ants does not contaminate food to any great extent (other than adding some additional protein). The primary foods for ants are the sugar and proteins found in pet food, unsealed food stores, garbage and food debris. They also may be looking for water if that is not available outside.

The odorous house ant is small (1/8-inch), darkish, and forms distinct trails along outdoor and indoor surfaces.They are often mistaken for the pavement ant, which can be easily controlled with most baits.

Sanitation and habitat control is a primary way of controlling them. But if you are not able to you may need to try to kill the colony.

Here are a couple of guides on ant behaviour and control-

Management without chemicals-  Non Chemical Control.  

Washington State Department of Ecology-Integrated Pest Management for Nuisance Ants

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NCW Home Inspections, LLC  is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

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