Odorous House Ants
Odorous house ant (Tapinoma sessile)
Nests of this very common household pest are found in a variety of situations both indoors and outdoors. Outdoor nests are usually located underneath a board, stone or some other object. The favorite nesting spots indoors appears to be wall voids and beneath floors. Odorous house ant colonies are large (up to 100,000 ants) and often contain several active queens. They prefer sweet foods and forage along regular trails indoors. Honeydew is one of their favorite foods and they often enter homes after heavy rainfall or late in the season when honeydew becomes less abundant.