Meet the odorous house ant: Need help controlling OHAs? Here are some quick tips to help

摘要

The odorous house and, Tapinoma sessile, is a major ant pest throughout the United States. In areas where it occurs with the Argentine ant, however, the Argentine ant tends to displace the odorous house ant. Odorous house ants and Argentine ants looksimilar. Both are mainly outdoor species but become a problem when they forage, and sometimes nest, indoors. OHA workers are very small, less than 1/8-inch long, brown in color and without a sting (but they can bite). There is a single flattened node that is hidden between the thorax and abdomen. You can tell the difference between the OHA and the Argentine ant by the smell of crushed workers. The odorous house ant gets its name because it has a smell similar to rotten coconuts when crushed. The Argentine ant has a stale, musty odor. When alarmed, the OHA runs in an erratic manner with its abdomen raised.