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Odorous House Ant Control in Seattle, WA

You wipe down the counter, spray the trail, and by morning there’s a new line of tiny ants heading for the sugar bowl. Odorous house ants are a major nuisance, and store-bought sprays rarely reach the colony behind them. If you need odorous house ant control in Seattle, Sound Pest Management finds where they’re coming from, treats the colony, and shows you how to stop them from coming back. Call for a free estimate by phone.
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Beyond Store-Bought Sprays

A Local Team That Treats the Colony, Not Just the Trail

Sound Pest Management has been family owned and operated since 2002, and our technicians are fully licensed and insured. Customers among our 286 Google reviews, professional visits and clear communication about what was found.Estimates are free by phone, and new customers and senior citizens save $25.

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Find the source. Treat the colony.
OUR TREATMENT APPROACH

How We Get Rid of Odorous House Ants

Why sprays fall short, how we treat the colony, and the steps that keep ants out of your kitchen.

01

Why are odorous house ants so hard to get rid of?

A single colony may have two or more queens and more than 10,000 workers. Queens can produce thousands of workers and hundreds of reproductives, which are the future queens. That’s why wiping up the ants you see doesn’t solve the problem, and why control can be difficult without a plan that reaches the colony.

02

How do you treat odorous house ants?

We combine chemical control with sanitation steps that make your home less attractive to ants. Your technician inspects for trails, entry points, and food sources, then treats where the ants are active and where they’re coming in.

03

What can I do to keep them out of my kitchen?

Keep the home free of food debris, exposed stored food, and pet food. Keep countertops and appliances free of grease or anything else the ants might feed on. These steps discourage indoor foraging and help our treatment last longer.

Know What You're Dealing With

Identifying Odorous House Ants and What Affects the Cost

How do I know they're odorous house ants?

The name comes from the strong, rotten coconut-like smell they give off when crushed. These tiny ants range from one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch long. They eat a wide variety of foods, including meat, cooked vegetables, dairy products, fruit juices, and pastries, so you’ll often find them in the kitchen.

Are they the same as carpenter ants?

No. Odorous house ants are tiny and nest in colonies, while carpenter ants are large black ants that tunnel through wood. Each needs a different treatment, so identification matters. If you’re seeing bigger ants, read about our carpenter ant control.

What affects the cost of ant control?

The cost depends on how widespread the ants are, how many entry points and nesting areas there are, the size of the property, and how many visits are needed. We give free estimates by phone.
Tired of the ant trail? Call (206) 510-0464 for a free estimate or book an inspection online.
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Where We Work

Ant Control Across Seattle and the South Sound

We’re based in Federal Way and serve Seattle, Kent, Tacoma, and surrounding communities. If you live on the Eastside, we also have a page on ant control in Bellevue. Ants are often one of several pests, so our general pest control service covers the rest, and a preventative service plan helps keep them out year-round. You can also browse all the areas we serve.

Ant Control in Bellevue

General Pest Control

Preventative Maintenance

Areas We Serve

Answers to Common Questions

Odorous House Ant FAQs

Helpful answers before you book an ant inspection.

Why do odorous house ants smell?
Odorous house ants get their name from the strong, rotten coconut-like smell they give off when crushed. If you notice that odor when you wipe up a few ants, that’s a good clue about what you have. A technician can confirm the species during an inspection.
They eat a wide variety of foods, including meat, cooked vegetables, dairy products, fruit juices, and pastries. Crumbs, spills, grease on counters and appliances, and exposed pet food all draw them in. Keeping those areas clean helps discourage ants from foraging indoors.

Each colony may have two or more queens and over 10,000 workers, so killing the ants you see doesn’t reach the colony. Control can be difficult. Professional treatment targets the colony and the entry points, and good sanitation keeps new foragers from finding food.

Wipe up crumbs and grease, store food in sealed containers, and put pet food away. Make a note of where you see ant trails and what time of day. Those details help your technician find where the ants are coming in and what’s feeding them, which makes treatment more effective.

Yes. We give free estimates by phone. Tell us where you see the ants, how long it’s been going on, and what you’ve tried, and we’ll recommend the next step. Call (206) 510-0464 or book an inspection online.

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Send the Ants Packing

Call (206) 510-0464 for a free estimate, or book an inspection online
Book an Inspection
Call (206) 510-0464
Pest control technician carrying equipment down an apartment building’s exterior walkway
Odorous House Ants

This ant gets its name from the strong, rotten coconut-like smell it gives off when crushed. These tiny insects range in size from one-sixteenth of an inch to one-eighth of an inch long.

Odorous house ants eat a wide variety of foodstuffs, such as meat, cooked vegetables, dairy products, fruit juices, and pastries. They have become a major nuisance pest by infesting houses. Each colony may contain two or more queens and over 10,000 workers. The queens of an odorous ant colony can produce thousands of workers and hundreds of reproductives. The reproductives are the future queens. Control can be difficult.

In addition to using chemical control, keep the home free of food debris, exposed stored food, or pet food. Keep counter tops and appliances free of grease or anything these ants might feed upon. These steps will help discourage indoor foraging.

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