Pest Alert – Tiny Black Ants in Homes
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Collapse ▲Tiny Black Ants in the Home
What are these tiny black ants invading my home? They are getting into my sugar and honey! They are so small I can hardly see them without my reading glasses.
![tiny black odorous house ant aka 'sugar ant'](https://henderson.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_8775-2.jpg)
Tiny black odorous house ants aka ‘sugar ants’ have been invading my home this spring.
Not only have they been getting into my house but I have found them outdoors as well. My Mailbox was full of them one day. Another nest was in a wood pile.
![ants in honeypot](https://henderson.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_8773-2-1024x768.jpg)
The ants decided to take a swim in my honeypot.
Odorous House Ants
The little ants are called odorous house ants. They reproduce rapidly and can nest anywhere that is protected from the weather. They can find their way into the home through the tiniest opening. Learn more about ants in the home here.
Scouts leave the nest looking for food. If they find something yummy, they will go back to the nest leaving a chemical trail. The chemical trail will guide more workers from the nest to the food source. In my case this was my honeypot!
![ant bait gel](https://henderson.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_8772-2-1024x768.jpg)
Ant bait gel works well to control ants in the home. Just squirt a little in out of the way places and the ants will find it.
Controlling Ants in the Home
The safest and best way to control ants in the home is a bait. Baits taste good to the ants and are laced with an insecticide. The ants drink it up and carry it home to the nest feeding it to the queen. Eventually this will kill the nest.
![ant bait gel](https://henderson.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_8771-2-1024x768.jpg)
Ant bait gel works well to control ants in the home. Just squirt a little in out of the way places and the ants will find it.
![ants feeding on bait](https://henderson.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_9120-1024x768.jpg)
Ants find the bait, slurp it up and take it back to the nest to feed the larvae, workers and queen. Eventually the nest dies.
![ants feeding on bait](https://henderson.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_9121-1024x768.jpg)
Ants find the bait, slurp it up and take it back to the nest to feed the larvae, workers and queen. Eventually the nest dies.