Did you hear about the citronella ant, in canada ?
I'm from Montréal, Québec, ant I found that type a ant, for the first time,
this week.
Do you know if it is common in the north-east past of the USa (New-England
area and up north in Québec province.
Thank for your answer.
Citronella Ants
Citronella ants give off a pleasing citrus smell, but I doubt they will be used in perfume production any time soon, nor would I recommend eating them like mints, either.
Citronella ants are also known as Larger Yellow Ants. They are referred to as Citronella ants because they have a strong, but pleasing citrus odor, especially when crushed.
Citronella ants build their nests underground, under logs, or sometimes under the concrete foundations of buildings. Occasionally, a swarm of winged Citronella ants will enter a building through a crack in the foundation. These
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Another interesting fact about Citronella ants is that they feed off honeydew, which is the waste product of aphids. Citronella ants will protect and cultivate populations of aphids, much like humans breed cows. Who knew that ants could be farmers?
Citronella ants should not be confused for Pharaoh ants, which are also yellow, but smaller and lack the distinguishing citrus odor of Citronella ants. Pharaoh ants are more disruptive and difficult to control.
 Citronella swarmer |
If you find that the Citronella ants are frequently finding their way inside, track them back to their source. The opening to the colony might have a mound of dirt around it where the ants have deposited soil from their underground tunnels. The colony will very often be in the basement, or under a log near the perimeter of your house. Seal up cracks in foundation concrete or at the bottom of basement walls and remove any heavy objects like firewood piles lying close to the building. Keep the yard clean of leaves and grass cuttings. Sprinkle a little Drione Dust, Boric Acid, or diatomaceous earth around the opening of the colony, or pour a few gallons of boiling hot water into the opening to kill the queen and the colony. You should rarely need to call a pest control operator to eliminate Citronella ants.
Comments
François Séguin
04 Sep 2008, 14:48
04 Sep 2008, 14:48
Ask the Exterminator
04 Sep 2008, 17:04
04 Sep 2008, 17:04
The Citronella ant is very commonly found in the northeast United States,
but can also be found in Canada.
Donna Kennedy
28 Sep 2008, 18:19
28 Sep 2008, 18:19
We definately have these citronella ants.
When we see these swarms, its not often, but they COVER an area on the side of the house. Its really too much to dismiss at the time. What can I do when I seem them swarming in one area., its not always the same place. Thank you in advance for your help.
I just go crazy when I see these things. It's really gross.
When we see these swarms, its not often, but they COVER an area on the side of the house. Its really too much to dismiss at the time. What can I do when I seem them swarming in one area., its not always the same place. Thank you in advance for your help.
I just go crazy when I see these things. It's really gross.
Ask the Exterminator
29 Sep 2008, 14:22
29 Sep 2008, 14:22
Citronella ants are capable of having extremely large swarms of winged ants
in the spring and fall. They don't hang around for long, but it sure can
get a person excited.
Fortunately, they are looking to get back into the soil and don't generally become a pest of the inside of a house.
My suggestion would be to do ongoing exterior perimeter treatments around the outside of your house using granular insecticides. Hopefully, the colony of ants will take the bait back to feed the colony, thus killing it off.
Other than that, the only thing to do is hose them down with water when they begin to swarm.
Fortunately, they are looking to get back into the soil and don't generally become a pest of the inside of a house.
My suggestion would be to do ongoing exterior perimeter treatments around the outside of your house using granular insecticides. Hopefully, the colony of ants will take the bait back to feed the colony, thus killing it off.
Other than that, the only thing to do is hose them down with water when they begin to swarm.
Ken
12 Oct 2008, 23:58
12 Oct 2008, 23:58
I live in a basement apartment in Toronto Canada and these ants are coming
into my apartment from under a baseboard. They don't seem to travel
far..just keep to their own small area. Is there something that I can use
to kill the entire colony? I don't want to share my apartment with these
things.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Ask the Exterminator
13 Oct 2008, 17:01
13 Oct 2008, 17:01
There are lots of ways to control ants, but you need to correctly identify
them before you start. Once you know which ant you are trying to control
you can determine what type baits they will likely consume. Proper bait
placement will get control quickly.
Lucy
21 Oct 2008, 00:21
21 Oct 2008, 00:21
We live near a lake around Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. Every October,
we see ants, with wings, when killed smell of strong citronella smell, but
are not yellow in colour. Ants are dark brown.
They seem to appear out of no where, sometimes finding them coming out from baseboards in our home. Our home is on a poured concrete foundation and our floors are all ceramic. Don't know where they are coming from or how to get rid of them. They often appear in the bathroom which has a surround tub with moulding. The bathroom and back bedroom where they seem to appear the most are connected to each other. Any ideas as they appear yearly and drive me crazy. Thank you
They seem to appear out of no where, sometimes finding them coming out from baseboards in our home. Our home is on a poured concrete foundation and our floors are all ceramic. Don't know where they are coming from or how to get rid of them. They often appear in the bathroom which has a surround tub with moulding. The bathroom and back bedroom where they seem to appear the most are connected to each other. Any ideas as they appear yearly and drive me crazy. Thank you
Ask the Exterminator
21 Oct 2008, 08:52
21 Oct 2008, 08:52
The swarming Citronella ants may vary in color from light yellow to a
brown. They commonly swarm in mid-to late summer, but earlier or later
season swarmers are possible if they find warmer soils adjacent to heated
structures.
Repeated swarms indicate the existance of a colony, so your job is to discover said colony. You need to be looking for dirt mounds outside along the foundation walls. Once discovered, the mounds can be treated with a pesticide that lists ants as a target insect.
Repeated swarms indicate the existance of a colony, so your job is to discover said colony. You need to be looking for dirt mounds outside along the foundation walls. Once discovered, the mounds can be treated with a pesticide that lists ants as a target insect.