Appearance:
Odorous House ants are dark brown to black in color.

Size:
Typically 1/8-inch long.

Behavior:
Odorous House ants are opportunistic nesters like the ghost ant; they live inhabit various nesting sites, moving constantly to avoid bad weather conditions. They regularly forage in large numbers for food along well-traveled trails, feeding on dead insects, meats and sweets, especially honeydew.

Colonies can be very large, ranging in size from several hundred to over 100,000 individuals; they also build many sub-colonies that are close to the main one. In addition, odorous house ant colonies can produce multiple queens and thousands of workers. The different colonies do not fight for food, instead preferring to exchange food, workers and even larvae between different neighboring colonies.

Habitat:
Outdoors, odorous house ant nests are usually shallow and just under the soil surface. They are also found in mulch, debris, logs, stumps, and under stones and outdoor tarps. Once inside your home, they will nest in wall and floor voids spaces, and in moist or warm areas around hot-water pipes and heaters, behind paneling and under carpets.

Unique Characteristics:
Odorous House ants get their name from the