Citronella ant
Lasius interjectus
- Identification
- Yellowish ants that emit a lemon/citronella odor when crushed. Often noticed as large swarms of winged ants near foundations.
- Lifecycle & behavior
- Nests in soil against foundations and under slabs, tending root aphids for honeydew. Swarms can alarm homeowners.
- When it's active in Central NY
- Swarms of winged citronella ants indoors — often in late winter or spring near the foundation — are a common CNY call, though the ants are harmless.
- Risk & damage
- A nuisance only; they don't feed indoors or damage structures. The swarm is the disturbance.
- Why DIY falls short
- Homeowners often mistake them for termites and panic; identification matters more than treatment.
- How we treat it
- Identification for peace of mind and targeted foundation treatment where swarms recur indoors.
Citronella ant or a termite swarm?
Citronella ants alarm people because they swarm indoors in large numbers, often from a basement floor or foundation crack, and get mistaken for termites. Check the waist and antennae: pinched waist and elbowed antennae mean ant. Then crush one — citronella ants give off a distinct lemony scent, which is where the name comes from and which no termite does.
Citronella ants in Central New York
These are subterranean ants that live on honeydew from root-feeding aphids, so they are not after your food and do not damage the structure. They nest in soil against and under foundations, and swarms push up through basement floor cracks and slab joints, usually in spring.
The practical answer is usually reassurance plus sealing. A citronella swarm is startling and harmless, and once correctly identified the job is confirming it is not a termite swarm and closing the routes they are using.
Dealing with citronella ant?
Our ant control handles it — guaranteed, family-owned, and local.
Citronella ant — common questions
Hundreds of winged ants came up through my basement floor. Is my house being damaged?
Almost certainly not, if they are citronella ants — crush one and check for a lemony smell, and look for the pinched waist and elbowed antennae that distinguish ants from termites. Citronella ants feed on aphid honeydew underground and do not damage structures. The correct response is identification first, then sealing the cracks they emerged from.