Odorous House Ant vs Pavement Ant
Odorous House Ants and pavement ants are easy to mix up at a glance, but a few details separate them quickly. Here is how to tell which one you found and what, if anything, you should do about it.
Quick answer
Check for this first. An odorous house ant has small, uniformly dark ant with an uneven thorax, while a pavement ant has parallel grooves on the head and thorax.
Side-by-side comparison
| Odorous House Ant | Pavement Ant | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Ants | Ants |
| Scientific name | Tapinoma sessile | Tetramorium immigrans |
| Size | 2–3 mm | 2.5–4 mm |
| Colors | Black and Brown | Brown and Black |
| Legs | 6 legs | 6 legs |
| Wings | No | No |
| Bites or stings | No | Stings |
| Risk | Nuisance | Nuisance |
| Key feature | Small, uniformly dark ant with an uneven thorax | Parallel grooves on the head and thorax |
Key differences
- Where found: look for odorous house ants in the kitchen and in the bathroom; pavement ants turn up in the kitchen, in basements and garages and in lawns and grass.
- Signature feature: Odorous House Ants: small, uniformly dark ant with an uneven thorax. Pavement Ants: parallel grooves on the head and thorax.
How to identify odorous house ants
A small, dark brown to black ant that trails along counters and sinks looking for sweets. Crushed workers give off a smell often compared to rotten coconut.
- Small, uniformly dark ant with an uneven thorax
- Rotten-coconut odor when crushed
- Erratic, fast-moving trails, especially after rain
How to identify pavement ants
A dark brown ant that nests under sidewalks, driveways and slabs, pushing up small piles of sand. Colonies fight noisy battles on pavement in spring.
- Parallel grooves on the head and thorax
- Two small spines on the back of the thorax
- Small mounds of sand along pavement cracks
Which one is more dangerous?
Neither is more dangerous than the other; both are rated nuisance on our scale.
Odorous house ants are a nuisance only; they rarely bite and don't sting. Pavement ants have a weak sting that rarely bothers people; they are mainly a nuisance.
Where and when you'll see each
Odorous House Ants turn up in the kitchen and in the bathroom, mostly in spring and summer. Pavement Ants turn up in the kitchen, in basements and garages and in lawns and grass, mostly in spring and summer.
Because they share habitat, you may find both in the same place, so check each individual.
What to do if you find one
Odorous House Ants: Wipe up crumbs and sugary spills and rinse recyclables. Read the full removal guide for more.
Pavement Ants: Seal cracks in slabs and the foundation where ants enter. Read the full removal guide for more.
Biology: ants
Ants live in colonies ruled by one or more egg-laying queens. The workers you see are sterile females foraging for the rest of the colony, so killing visible ants rarely solves anything. Winged ants, called swarmers, appear when a mature colony sends out new kings and queens.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between odorous house ants and pavement ants?
Where found: look for odorous house ants in the kitchen and in the bathroom; pavement ants turn up in the kitchen, in basements and garages and in lawns and grass.
Which is bigger, an odorous house ant or a pavement ant?
Odorous House Ant: 2–3 mm. Pavement Ant: 2.5–4 mm.
Do odorous house ants or pavement ants bite?
Odorous House Ants do not bite. Pavement Ants do not bite and can sting.
Where are they usually found?
Odorous House Ants: in the kitchen and in the bathroom. Pavement Ants: in the kitchen, in basements and garages and in lawns and grass.