How to Get Rid of Piss Ants (and What They Really Are)

If small dark ants are streaming across your kitchen and give off a foul, urine-like smell when you squash one, you have what most people call piss ants. The name covers several common nuisance species, and the good news is they all give way to the same approach: bait, not spray.

The best way to get rid of piss ants is with slow-acting ant bait rather than a contact spray. Place bait where you see trails and near entry points so workers carry it back to the queen and the whole colony dies. Then seal cracks, fix damp spots, and keep food and crumbs cleaned up so a new colony cannot move in.

Below is how to tell which “piss ant” you have, the baits and home remedies that actually work, and the one mistake that can make the problem worse.

What Is a Piss Ant? | Information and Facts

“Piss ant” is not a single species. It is a folk name for several tiny household ants, most often the odorous house ant (Tapinoma sessile), the pavement ant (Tetramorium caespitum), and the Pharaoh ant (Monomorium pharaonis). The name comes from the sharp, urine-like odor their nests and bodies give off, caused by the formic acid they release, and it traces back to “pismire,” an old word for an ant. They are among the smallest ants you will ever find indoors.

How Do Piss Ants Look Like?

Piss ants are about 1/16 to 1/8 inch long in size and have a wide range of colors from light yellow to reddish-brown and even black. Piss ants have long antennae to sense aromas and 3 pairs of legs. With the help of antennae, they sense danger and search for food.

They nest in warm, damp places and squeeze through the tiniest cracks, which is why they turn up around kitchens, bathrooms, and wall voids in homes, apartments, hotels, and hospitals. Winged males and queens only appear when the colony is ready to reproduce, usually in spring.

Life Cycle of Piss Ants

Piss ants have different castes, workers are smaller and slender, and soldiers are larger. Their colony has mostly a single queen, reproductive male-to-mate, and non-reproductive wingless female workers. The female worker does all the work and defends their colony.

The queen lays eggs that develop into larvae, pupae, and adults in about 45 days. A single queen can establish a new colony after fertilization which can lay hundreds of eggs. They arise in large numbers during springtime. The queen can live up to 12 months, the male up to 3 to 5 weeks, and workers for about 10 weeks.

Can Piss Ants Damage My House?

Piss ants are a contamination nuisance, not a structural threat. As they travel from trash, drains, and soil to your counters and pantry, they can carry bacteria onto food and surfaces, and a large colony can quickly spoil any food left open or unsealed.

Unlike carpenter ants or termites, they do not eat or tunnel through wood, so they will not weaken your home. The real problem is how fast they multiply and how easily they find their way into stored food.

Important: resist the urge to spray. Contact sprays kill a few workers but never the hidden queen, so the colony rebuilds. With Pharaoh ants, spraying is worse than useless: it can trigger budding, where the colony splits into several new ones and spreads through your home. Lead with bait, and use sprays only for the odd ant you want gone on the spot.

How to Get Rid of Piss Ants: Different Methods

If the infestation of piss ants goes undetected in the early stages, you can use various methods to control these pests. These are the most popular ones.

Chemical Methods

Ant Killer Spray

Orange Guard is an organic insecticide. You can use it to control several varieties of insects. Spray the chemical in cracks, in the kitchen, and around your house. Follow the company instructions for the effective application of the spray.

The other insecticides you can use inside the house are BASF Alpine PT Insecticidal Aerosol, but this is not an organic spray.

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Ant Baits

The use of ant bait is one of the best methods to control piss ants. You can select greasy protein-based baits, fats-based baits, or sugar baits to lure ants. Once the ants, including the queen, take the bait and ingest it, the insecticide in the bait will cause the colony’s death.

Most of the sweet baits contain Borax in them. You can easily purchase these baits from stores.

Terro Liquid Ant Bait is a good indoor bait. You can apply it near entry points and wherever you see piss ants. It will destroy them in a short time period.

Boric Acid (Borax)

Application of boric acid at crevices, cracks, and entry points of piss ants will help to control their infestation. The powder sticks to the antennae and legs of ants and causes stomach poisoning, which leads to their death.

Biological Methods

Insect Repellent Plants

Planting herbs can help keep piss ants away from your house. Put sage, peppermint, or tansy plants in your kitchen. You can also place cinnamon strips, turmeric, or bitter pepper around your house to prevent the piss ants from entering. The phytochemicals released from these plants act as insect repellents and keep them away.

Make dilutions of essential oils of orange, cinnamon, or peppermint. To prepare an insecticide spray, you can add 20 drops of essential oil in 8 ounces of water.

Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is an organic, harmless, efficient, and eco-friendly way to control piss ants. You can spread the powder evenly at the entry points or on colonies of ants.

Home Remedies for Getting Rid of Piss Ants | Natural Methods

Piss ants can also be controlled using home remedies or natural methods. Here, we will share some efficient home remedies to control piss ants.

White Vinegar or Lemon Juice Spray

Mix equal parts of water and vinegar to prepare a piss ant spray. Spray it near entry points or directly on the insect. This will discourage ants from coming into your house.

Similarly, prepare lemon juice spray by adding 4 tablespoons to 8 ounces of water. Spray it like vinegar spray, and it will cause the same effect.

Boric Acid and Sugar

In 1.5 cups of water, add 1.5 tablespoons of boric acid and half a cup of sugar. Mix them gently to prepare a solution. Dump a cotton ball in the mixture until it becomes saturated. Place the cotton near the colonies of ants to kill them.

Soap Spray

To make the soap mixture, add 1 tablespoon of dishwashing soap to 1 cup of vegetable oil and mix it. To finally prepare this insecticide spray, add 2 teaspoons of this mixture to one cup of warm water. Spray it in the cracks and entry points of piss ants, and ants will slowly die.

Cornstarch

Dust corn starch near the cracks and nest of piss ants. If they will ingest it, the powder will cause their death.

Use of Aromatic Plants

Piss ants do not like the odor of cucumber, garlic, cloves, or bay leaves. The aroma of these plants will discourage the piss ant from establishing their colonies in your place.

Honey and Boric Acid Mixture

Make a homemade ant bait by mixing an equal quantity of honey and boric acid and apply the paste near the entry points of piss ants.

Ground Coffee

Piss ants do not like the smell of ground coffee. You can spread coffee near shelters and outdoors to discourage them.

How to Prevent Piss Ants From Invading Your House?

To avoid the infestation of piss ants, you should take early measures before they establish their colonies. Since the piss ants rise in the springtime, that is the perfect time to take preventive measures

• These insects like dark and moist places like pipelines, bathrooms, kitchen sinks, and waste material. Therefore, keep your place clean, tightly seal your pipes and wipe off the wet places.

• Piss ants are primarily attracted to leftovers, sweets, honey, fruits, drinks, cakes, jams, and other eatables. Make sure to clean your kitchen and remove leftovers that can attract ants. Sweep your kitchen floor and counters regularly.

• Do not leave your garbage bags in the house. The ants can sense the food leftovers and garbage. The garbage bags should be sealed and should not have holes.

• Keep a close eye on any cracks or holes in your house, then seal them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly are piss ants?

Piss ants are not one species. The name is a catch-all for small household ants, usually odorous house ants, pavement ants, or Pharaoh ants, that give off a urine-like smell when crushed. Identifying the species helps, but the control method is much the same for all of them: bait.

Why are they called piss ants?

Because their nests and bodies release formic acid and similar compounds that smell like urine when disturbed or crushed. The word also descends from “pismire,” an old English name for an ant that combined “piss” with “mire,” a term for ant.

Do piss ants bite or sting?

They rarely bite, and a bite is harmless for most people, causing only mild irritation from the formic acid. Piss ants are a contamination nuisance rather than a danger, though their numbers and their habit of getting into food make them worth removing.

Why does spraying make piss ants worse?

Contact sprays kill only the workers you see, not the queen, so the colony bounces back. With Pharaoh ants, spraying can cause budding, where a stressed colony splits into several smaller ones and scatters through the building. Bait works because foragers carry it back and poison the queen.

Are Piss Ant Bites Dangerous?

Piss ant bites are not a threat to humans. However, the soldier ants can give a painful bite with their strong jaws. During this bite, ants secrete formic acid on the skin. The acid irritates and, in some cases, even causes an allergic reaction.

Piss Ant Bites Treatment

To treat piss ant bites, apply cold compresses on the bitten spot for about 20 minutes. It will reduce swelling. Take an antihistamine if you have a minor allergic reaction.

Piss ants are attracted to sugary foods, leftovers, or moist places, and if squashed, they smell like urine. Piss ants can cause significant damage to the household by spoiling your food, and like every type of ant, they can transmit bacteria and diseases.

Early prevention of the piss ants can be done with good sanitation practices. Various insecticides and ant baits are available commercially to help control piss ants’ infestation. Whatever you choose, always read the product instructions and be careful. If you are dealing with a more extensive infestation, we suggest you call exterminators.

List of Sources

Field Guide to Common Texas Insects, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Nyamukondiwa, C., & Addison, P. (2014), Food preference and foraging activity of ants: recommendations for field applications of low-toxicity baits. Journal of insect science.

Potter M., Ant Control for Householders, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.