Odorous House Ant

Tapinoma sessile

Appearance

• Brown or black.
• 1/16 to 1/8 inch long
• Antennae have 12 segments and are not terminated with a club
• 6 legs.

Lifecycle

• Time to adult phase of development is 34-38 days.
• Typically live for several years.

Habits

• Feeding - eat most household foods, especially sugary food, eg sweets and fruits such as melon. Also eat pet food.
• Locations – attracted to moisture. In hot, dry environments nests can be found in house plants and even lids of toilets.
• Odor - produce a coconut smell when crushed.
• Colonies - range in size from 100-10,000.