Odorous Ants

Odorous Ant Facts

• Location: native and widespread across the United States, Florida included
• Nickname: odorous house ant, stink ant or coconut ant
• Color: brown to black
• Size: about 1/16 to 1/8 inch (roughly 2.4 to 3.3 mm)

Odorous Ant Behavior

Crush one and you will notice a sour smell that many people compare to rotting coconut. That odor is the quickest way to tell them from other small dark ants in the kitchen.

Identifying Odorous House Ants

Odorous house ants are small, all one size, and brown to black, with workers about 1/16 to 1/8 inch long. The most useful clue needs a magnifying glass: the waist has a single, very small node that is hidden from above by the front of the abdomen, so the ant looks as if it has no raised waist segment at all. They also have no stinger.

Florida look-alikes:

• Ghost ant: a close relative that is very common in Central and South Florida. It is even smaller, with a dark head and thorax and a pale, almost see-through abdomen and legs.
• White-footed ant: black with pale yellowish feet, common in South Florida homes.
• Argentine ant: light to dark brown and forms long, busy trails, but its waist node is plainly visible.

Where they nest: outdoors in shallow soil under stones, boards, mulch, logs and potted plants. A single colony often spreads across several connected nests and will pack up and move when disturbed.

Diet: sweets top the list, especially the sugary honeydew made by aphids, scale insects and whiteflies, along with dead insects.

In Florida: this native ant is found here and can be active in any month. In the southern half of the state, the ghost ant is often the more common tiny sweet-loving ant indoors, so a close look helps. See the odorous ant infestation page for the signs you will notice inside.