Ants attracted to mold?
Question:Several months ago, we found tiny, little black ants in our bathroom. They kept crawling around our sink and I could see that they were coming out of some of the baseboards in the wall.
Recently, I found some on my kitchen cabinet. What was so weird is that there was no food - not even crumbs - on the cabinet, but there were still ants...
When I went to spray down the cabinet, I lifted up my cutting board and saw that there was mold on the underside of it. What kind of ants are attracted to mold? I am afraid that there is mold in my bathroom because of seeing the ants in there.
These ants are obviously not attracted to food, because they totally avoided the crumbs on the stove and just infested where the molded cutting board was - so they are not sugar ants.
I've read about odorous house ants, but these don't seem to have an odor...not that I could smell it, they are so TINY. Also, most resources I've found say odorous house ants live in the NW. I am in the South.
Answers:
Molds play a part in nature by breaking down dead organic matter. Molds may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet.
Let's review your situation. You found mold underneath your cutting board. A prime spot for dead organic matter. Also, a key place where moisture can easily occur. So, a perfect spot for mold growth/
Now the real question, what kind of ant loves mold?
None, to my knowledge. However, ants are attracted to foods, and odors. The mold spores under the cutting board, being cultivated by the dead organic matter are most likely emitting a strong enough odor to attract the ants, more so than the crumbs nearby.
For more information regarding mold, remediation, and prevention, go to www.howellsac.com
More Related Questions & Answers...