Why do ants smell when you kill them?
Answers:
How would you know?Do you smell them?
Other answers:
??? They do???
??? They do???
they do...?
Why are you smelling dead ants?
I have never "smelled" an ant.
ants smell when they die?
wow I did not know that/.
Ewww...you're weird. You sniff ants??
wow never knew that one
They smell? How big are these ants you are killing?
really? they do? I have never noticed
Sir, you have one very KEEN sense of smell. That may be useful somehow. Look into that, it could get you a very unique job or something.
All dead things smell bad. Probably just announcing to all their kin folk that a murderer is afoot. If you got close enough to smell a dead ant, wouldn't the carcase get sucked up your nose?
I never knew that. But I don't bend down to smell them either.
i personaly have never smelled an ant before
Because ants are filled with acid and once dead or killed, they elude an odor because they are decomposing. That is why they smell when they die or when you kill them. Never really smelled a dead ant before, but, if that is the case, then, that is your answer.
I never got close enough to have that piece of information, thanks! What do they sell like...Chicken?
OMG I thought I was the only one who noticed that! And no, I don't go around sniffing ants either. They just emit an odor when they die. Sorry, I don't know why either!
Never noticed, maybe what you're smelling is the chemical that you may have used to exterminate them.
LOL! That is hilarious that you would ask that question. Just last weekend my friend and I were at a party and we had this mixed drink: Pineapple juice, coconut rum, and cranberry juice and we said, EWWWW, this smells like squished ants! Whata coincidink!
They contain formic acid which comes out when you crush them
I didn't know they did.
ive never smelled an ant before, but its a known fact that ants communicate with smell. so the ant is probably saying "OH S.H.I.T!!!!"
why did u even kill the ant i mean do u want it 2 rain and don't put your nose in the ants butt tafter u kill it its called personal space
They do? (had to be said again lol)
Yes, it's the chemicals in their 'hind end'... sometimes when you pick them up they will even expel that same stuff on your hand.
While growing up I lived in an area where a lot of the big black ants were and they would actually have battles.. when they did it literally stunk up the neighborhood for a day.
Ants leave a smell trail wherever they go so they can find their way home when they go looking for food. They do this by leaving drops of a special liquid.
THe smell that you get when you crushed them is this liquid smell when you crushed them.
Because you are smelling the fumes of the gasoline you are dousing them with you pyro nut case. Hope you don't live near me. Call an exterminator next time Jug head.
Here's the most detailed answer to your question from The Straight Dope archive:
Prefab or Manufactured home owners only please?