do you know anything about an ants with odd chemical smell?

Question

My grandmother has these tiny little ants in her extremely clean house, that when squished have a very offensive chemical smell. Does anyone have any info about these ants. What are they or what might be causing this CHEMICAL TYPE SMELL?

also she has had trouble ridding her house of these little pests, they are hard to kill.

I am not actually asking how to get rid of these ants, I am wondering why they have such an offensive smell. This is more of an Entomology question than an Exterminator question.

Answer 1

What you are smelling is a pheromone (scent) being given off by the crushed ant. Communication between members of a colony is almost entirely chemical. Ants have scent glands on their abdomen for laying down a trail to food and water sources. They also use these pheromones to recognize colony members and to signal attacks and defense, which is basically what happened when you squished one. It was sending a scent signal to other members that it was in distress and needed help. Some species scent is stronger smelling which accounts for your grandmothers little visitors. Hope this answers your question..

... Billy Ray

Answer 2

Ants produce formic acid and ant colonies are called formicaries. you are smelling formic acid. Put baking soda all around the perimeter of the house. Ants won't cross it as it screws up their antennae & tracking abilities.

Answer 3

ANTS are allergic to chalk, draw a line or make a circle around something and they,ll go around it. you can put some sugar down into a little dish and mix some ant poison with it. They,ll
think it,s candy and take it down into their nest wiping out the whole colony. give them some fast- food, they,re butt will get to big and they won,t be able to crawl up and down they,re tunnel.

That chemical smell i don,t know about that, maybe they hit oil,
or better yet, every time you step on them that might be they,re guts your smelling.

Answer 4

SALT kills ants=they wont walk on salt.