Pest Gallery

Odorous House Ant: Tapinoma Sessile

Appearance: Dark reddish brown to black, one-tenth inch long; antennae have 12 segments.

Habits: Nests found in a great variety of situations; in the home, often found nesting in the walls or beneath the floor; most likely to invade homes during rainy weather; travel in trails; forage day and night.

Diet: Honeydew melons in the wild; inside the home, they prefer sweet items.

Reproduction: Each female in the nest lays one egg a day; young reach adulthood in an average of 24 days; workers and females live for several years.

Other Information: When crushed, give off very unpleasant odor; colonies are very large, but can be driven away by invading Argentine ants.

Click on the following links to learn more about specific ants: