I work in an office which is located in the basement of my bosses house.
The house is about 100 yrs of age and has a rock foundation with concrete
holding it together. In my office behind me is a 1/2 wall with insolation
between the rock foundation and the waynes coating 1/2 wall. on the top of
the 1/2 wall is capped so there is a shelf all the way across. The last 2
weeks I have noticed sand powder trails that lead down from the concrete
foundation,then on the top o fmy shelf there is granuals of sand some small
like beach sand, but as bog as just plain sand. I couldseep it off using a
dust pan. We live in Southern NH, it's spring.. what in the word is
aggressive enuogh to eat threw concrete...I have not seen any bugs at all.
It's freaky.. and makes me concerned. What do you think?
Bugged out,
Sue
Pharaoh Ant
Summary: Pharaoh ants, despite their small size, are the most invasive of all household ants. Pharaoh ants build colonies quickly and the spread of pharaoh ants is difficult to control.
Pharaoh ants are well-known troublemakers. They are notorious for getting into places they shouldn't be because they are small and can chew through plastic bags or wiring. This can cause a big problem in hospitals when they find their way into sterile environments or even into IV bags.
I'm going to tell you some things about why Pharaoh ants are so different from other types of ants. First, their colonies have multiple queens and they have a different reproductive cycle than most ants. So what, you say? Well, get lucky enough to find a queen and kill her, you still have not eliminated the
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Pharaoh ant nest. Also, they mate in their nests rather than forming reproductive swarms above ground, so unlike other ants that warn you of their presence with their swarms, you never know Pharaoh ants are there until you find them infesting something.
Pharaoh ants can build their nests in wall voids, baseboards, under floors, in trash containers, under stones, and dark, warm areas near water pipes. Hospitals, apartment buildings, hotels, and grocery stores are often plagued with pharaoh ants. They build new colonies quick and resist treatment by condensing several colonies into one colony. Several separate Pharaoh ant colonies living close together sometimes makes it appear as if there is one huge colony. If the nests are under attack by a predator or a pesticide, the colonies can unite to “weather the storm”. This resilience makes it difficult to eliminate the colony and can take up to a year to effectively treat a large pharaoh ant infestation.
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Here's the worst part. If you try to treat Pharaoh ants with a pesticide they don't like they will create a satellite nest and start a new colony. So, you can't just go around spraying Raid Ant Spray or you'll double your trouble. Instead, Pharaoh ant control is achieved using bait systems. Advance Dual Choice, Floor Guard, and Maxforce FC are some indoor baiting systems that have had success treating pharaoh ants. The bait stations are placed where the worker ants forage for food, close to floorboards and in the corners of rooms. The ants take the slow acting bait back to the colony and it slowly poisons the nest without causing alarm.
If you can't follow instructions on the bait, don't start the project. You'll just make it worse. Call a professional pest control company to do the job for you.
Click here to watch my short video on how to control ants.
Comments
Sue Comstock
17 Apr 2009, 13:49
17 Apr 2009, 13:49
Ask the Exterminator
17 Apr 2009, 17:43
17 Apr 2009, 17:43
Rubble wall foundations like the one you describe, often shift with the
changes of seasons, regardless of the age of the house. With the shifting
comes "leaking" sand.
If you are concerned about ants I would suggest putting out some flat sheet glue boards to monitor for ant activity.
If you are concerned about ants I would suggest putting out some flat sheet glue boards to monitor for ant activity.
Ant Victim
20 Apr 2009, 07:16
20 Apr 2009, 07:16
Can these ants cause allergic reactions? I remember I got biten by several
of these yellowish ants when I was a kid. I was watering my front yard and
the whole colony came to attack me and It seems I got allergy reaction to
the bites. I had shortness of breath and swollen foot.
I dont know if the number had anything to do with it but several of these ants bite me since I sprayed water to their colony, a hole in the ground. I was around 6 years old.
Only these kind of ants seem to affect me that badly.
I dont know if the number had anything to do with it but several of these ants bite me since I sprayed water to their colony, a hole in the ground. I was around 6 years old.
Only these kind of ants seem to affect me that badly.
Ask the Exterminator
20 Apr 2009, 22:07
20 Apr 2009, 22:07
Pharaoh ants don't bite.
Brooke
20 Apr 2009, 22:08
20 Apr 2009, 22:08
Hey there. I am having trouble with pharaoh ants. They are in our kitchen
and bathrooms and have now found their way into our bed! I am 6 months
pregnant and can not use pesticides... so i've tried the vinegar trick. Not
sure if it's worked yet. Is there anything else non toxic that I can do?
Also, is it true that these types of ants can carry disease?
Ask the Exterminator
20 Apr 2009, 22:10
20 Apr 2009, 22:10
There are some great ants baits that are nearly non-toxic to mamals. Don't
treat pharaoh ants with any liquid pesticide. They react by splitting into
multiple colonies.
I know of no diseases carried by pharaoh ants.
I know of no diseases carried by pharaoh ants.
Tanja
05 May 2009, 18:42
05 May 2009, 18:42
I have been having trouble with this pharoah ant problem for a year, since
I moved in. I have had the building exterminator come in on a few
occassiions to put down bait. I am told that no one else in the building
complains. However,people in the building tell me they are all over. But,
they do not seem bothered by it. Now, i see the ants again. How do i tell
the building managment that in order to get rid of them they have to bait
the whole building not just my flat?
Ask the Exterminator
05 May 2009, 20:27
05 May 2009, 20:27
Tell them like you just told me. The resolution to the problem will require
baiting all the locations where the ants can be found. Insist that he do
something. Collect some ants and show him the evidence.
Randi
13 May 2009, 08:39
13 May 2009, 08:39
I moved into our house 6 months ago and started fighting pharoah ants.
Then, as the weather changed they disappeared, but as it has warmed back up
they have come back in force. I initially was spraying them, but when they
repeatedly found a way around the sprayed areas I started to research and
am worried that I have made the problem worse. I have some bait stations
around the house now, how will I know if the situation is controlled or if
I need to apply more bait or in different areas? I want to try to kill as
many colonies as possible to prevent them from returning as quickly.
Ask the Exterminator
13 May 2009, 08:59
13 May 2009, 08:59
Pharoah ants are very difficult to control. You surely made the problem
worse by treating with repellent liquid pesticides, although there are some
non-repellent products that would not have caused the ants to split up into
new colonies.
Use the baits and continue to monitor for new outbreaks. You will simply have to be vigilant.
Use the baits and continue to monitor for new outbreaks. You will simply have to be vigilant.
Tania
13 May 2009, 09:08
13 May 2009, 09:08
The exterminator in my building is coming at the end of the month and he
does three treatments. Since I live in a building and I know others that
live in this building have the same problem but, some people try to treat
it themselves and others really don't mind living with pharoah ants. My
question is if they do treatment in only my unit will that help the
situations any?
Ask the Exterminator
13 May 2009, 09:11
13 May 2009, 09:11
It may divert the ants from one place to another, but it will not totally
resolve the problem unless everyone is onboard.
Jerry
16 May 2009, 18:12
16 May 2009, 18:12
I live in sarasota county florida and have tiny black ants running in
trails on the outside of the house. They occaisionally make it into the
bathroom. How can I identify them and find something to get rid of them.
Ask the Exterminator
16 May 2009, 22:37
16 May 2009, 22:37
Visit http://www.asktheexterminator.com/video/Insect_Identifications.shtml
and watch my video.
steven
03 Jun 2009, 09:49
03 Jun 2009, 09:49
hi im from kent England and i live an apartment block on the 12th floor, we
had alerted the council and we have heard nothing within 3 months so we
started using raid spray. we were then told after 4-5 months that they were
pharoah ants, and that was it.NO info about how to deal with them and was
told within a month an exterminator will have to come round 5 times.since
then my 7 month old son has become really ill is there any connection?
Ask the Exterminator
03 Jun 2009, 11:00
03 Jun 2009, 11:00
Never, and I mean never, treat for an insect without understanding its
habits first. The use of Raid on the pharoah ants has most likely divided
the colony several times, as described in the article above. Not getting a
proper ID and treating with the wrong material has multiplied your problem.
I have no idea what your child's illness is about, but I can tell you that to treat for these ants will require a baiting program or treatment with a non-repellent pesticide.
I have no idea what your child's illness is about, but I can tell you that to treat for these ants will require a baiting program or treatment with a non-repellent pesticide.
Guy
01 Jul 2009, 23:55
01 Jul 2009, 23:55
Does Terro work or a mixture of borax and sugar to eliminate these Pharaoh
ant?
bob
11 Jul 2009, 14:23
11 Jul 2009, 14:23
do you know of any ants or termites that can chew thorugh concrete,
something is chewing the concrete and putting holes in it
Ask the Exterminator
12 Jul 2009, 21:01
12 Jul 2009, 21:01
Termites cannot chew through concrete, although they can get through tiny
cracks in concrete.
Scharlee
16 Jul 2009, 17:23
16 Jul 2009, 17:23
I am trying to identify these tiny red ants I just found in my sink next to
the drain and behind my sink in the space between it and the wall. I have
never seen this type of ant before and not even sure if it is a Pharaoh
Ant? Are they even found in Idaho? If not what type of ant would it most
likely be? Should I be more concerned because I can not find an ant trail
and have only found like 20-30 ants total.
Ask the Exterminator
17 Jul 2009, 10:15
17 Jul 2009, 10:15
I cannot do IDs without a picture.
Tara
19 Aug 2009, 02:04
19 Aug 2009, 02:04
I have a huge Pharaoh Ant problem going on in my apartment, It's gotten so
bad that I try to avoid going to my apartment. I mean they are everywhere.
Their in my bedroom,furniture,the floor, bathroom,the kitchen you name it.
I've asked my Landlord if he could do something about it and he told me
"sorry, I never brought them here". I am so frustrated that I am trying to
move outta there but stuck in a lease and also I am terrified that if i
move my stuff to a new apartment I might bring the ants with me without
knowing. How do I go abouts getting rid of them without bringing them with
me.
Jamie
19 Aug 2009, 19:54
19 Aug 2009, 19:54
Tara I have the exact same problem. These ants get into everything and I
just can't stand it anymore but I'm terrified that they will follow me to
my next place. I have complained to my apartment office so many times,
I've even called them crying. Pest control comes every week, last week I
was able to talk to the guy. I told him that the ants aren't eating the
bait anymore and he said sorry this is the only product available to kill
them! Is there anything else I can do??
Ask the Exterminator
20 Aug 2009, 07:57
20 Aug 2009, 07:57
Jamie: Get a new pest control company. There are other products that will
work just fine and a knowledgeable exterminator would know.
Teandra
17 Sep 2009, 15:14
17 Sep 2009, 15:14
I wish I would have read your article before I started using Raid. The
exterminators have came out every week for the last 7 weeks, they even
drilled holes in the walls to release a foam that should have gotten rid of
the problem. However, the ants are still here. It's so bad, that my
daughter was eating cereal when I realized that ants were all in the cereal
box. My property manager said we can move. How do I move without bringing
these ants with me?
sarah
10 Oct 2009, 19:08
10 Oct 2009, 19:08
hello i just moved to an apartment and noticed i have pharaoh ants..i fist
looked online to see wat kind of ants they were...but didnt realyl know
because they were so small so i took a microscope..then i was able to
identify them...well i called my building manager they said i would be on
the list to get sumone to come in the thing i dont get why wouldnt they do
everyone they are just gunna come back...i dont think they realze they
should also take precaution and do the outside of the building as well to
make sure they dont come back in...but they want me to wait until
november...i know they are very small but they just gross me out..i also
read that they like to go to infants mositure...i was just wondering a few
things can my son get sick?? Can they come with me when i move?...i kno
they dont like the cold....i also seen some wood in my washroom that looks
like it was eaten at can these types of ants to that...thats where they are
the most..i dont kno what to say to my building office because i want to
approach nice but i kno treatment should be done for a year even know their
are no signs of ants anymore and i dont think they know much about it and i
was thinking of just contacting the main office would that be a bad
idea?..also one last question if i wanted to start treatment early would
that ruin anything for the guys that are coming in that are gunna lay bait
anyways...i know i read that some bait doesnt work so try others...?
Ask the Exterminator
11 Oct 2009, 17:34
11 Oct 2009, 17:34
Questions posted in the comments box will not be answered.
Matt
30 Oct 2009, 13:41
30 Oct 2009, 13:41
Tara- I'm not sure where you live, But my whole building is infested with
these ants to the point where 14 residents have moved out in the past month
and 4 of them are sueing our landlord. If an infestation has grown
throughout your building you can break your lease and leave (I live in
Canada). Check your tenant rights for your area. If your landlord refuses
to do anything I'd be getting out of there really fast, it's only going to
get worse. Call a lawyer if need be.