Summary: Citronella ants live underground, so you rarely see them, but on occasion, they do find their way into homes. Citronella ants are bright yellow and have a strong citrus smell when crushed.
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 winged swarmer ants are the reproductive members of the colony and have a darker, red color than the other worker ants. People sometimes think that the winged ants are termites, but it is easy to differentiate ants from termites because ants have pinched waist while termite bodies are straight. These winged ants cannot reproduce indoors and will die shortly so there is no cause for alarm. Simply clean them up with a broom or vacuum cleaner after they die. A standard aerosol pesticide like Raid will speed up the process.
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.
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 Advance 375a granular ant bait 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.
Click here to watch my short video on how to control ants.