Ants may be little, but they can pack a pungent punch. Many species of ants release strong-smelling chemicals when they’re angry, threatened or being squished. Trap-jaw ants release a chocolatey smell when annoyed, while citronella ants earned their name from the lemony odour they give off.
The scent of the odorous house ant, meanwhile, has been likened to blue cheese or rancid coconuts. This is because the chemicals that it releases, methyl ketones, are also produced by the Penicillium bacteria that ripen blue cheese and grow on rotting coconuts.
GETTY IMAGES X3 ILLUSTRATION: SEBASTIEN THIBAULT