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Pharaoh Ant

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

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.

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

Comments

Bernie
01 Sep 2008, 09:15

Hi there,

How would a pharaoh ant get in to my 3rd floor flat? It's an old building though. Would they already be there - how long would they be there before you notice them in large numbers?

We're clean people so I think it was the last tenants!

Thanks!

Ask the Exterminator
01 Sep 2008, 22:10

Pharaoh ants trail. They follow each other to food sources. If conditions are right they will forage for a food source until they find it. Up through wall voids. Walking along plumbing. You name it. So, your 3rd floor flat presents no major barrier to these ants.

Pharaoh ants are very small and light in color so you might not notice them until they have really established themselves.

Don't spray them with pesticides. They have the nasty habit of splitting up into multiple colonies when they get sprayed. You'll need to use baits.

Tricia
27 Sep 2008, 23:03

Can ants of different species work together? I have tiny light-colored winged ants following a trail in my bathroom, accompanied by tiny black ants. And there was one large winged thing that I think was an ant. I have no idea what they are doing. They travel from under the toilet to a certain spot (which is clean and has no food that I can see) and then go back under the toilet.

They change their trail to go around the MaxForce FC trap.

I've tried to be patient with the ants, but the black ones downstairs started an aphid farm in my ivy plant. It was interesting at first, but it turns out to be bad for the plant. And, it's just a little too anty around here (she typed as two ants checked her keyboard for crumbs).

The ants have got to go. Any ideas of how to comprehensively get rid of them?

Thanks,

Tricia

Ask the Exterminator
29 Sep 2008, 13:56

Usually, ants of the same species, but from different colonies, will fight. They identify each other by smell and one colony smells different from another.

I have heard of totally different types of ants being able to tolerate the presence of each other, but it is not the norm.

What you are describing, however, sounds like different species of ants within the same colony. Remember, there are the worker ants and there are the reproductive ants. The reproductive ants usually start out with wings and are larger. There are even types of ants with different sizes of workers in the same colony. Color may vary, as well.

Lastly, ants may change their eating habits with the season. Sometimes they are attracted to sweets, while at other times they are searching for protein-based foods. The fact that they are trailing under the toilet tells me they are seeking moisture. Better have someone check the base of the toilet for a leak.

Marsha
07 Oct 2008, 17:43

Help ! My 2nd floor apt is infested with pharaoh ants. These critters are everywhere, in my kitchen, bathrooms, walls, clothes.. you name it. I am using terro. I can't seem to get rid of them. Do these ants bite? I found a couple in my bed and then later found two bites on my leg. I also have trees around my apt.. should I have the association cut the leaves down a bit? I also live in Florida and sometimes turn my AC off, could it be from the humidity they keep coming? My neighbor below me said she only has seen a few in her apt.. and not to this extreme. Any help is much appreciated.

Ask the Exterminator
08 Oct 2008, 09:11

Pharaoh ants don't always desire sweet foods. Sometimes they forage for proteins like meat. Terro is a sweet-based liquid bait with boric acid and that is why you may not be having any success.

My suggestion would be to buy several different baits. Read the label. It must specifically mention Pharaoh ants as one of the target pests. There are some non-repellent liquid sprays like Phantom, but you will have a hard time buying it. Pest control professionals often use it to control these ants.

Pharaoh ants can bite, but they do not sting like Fire ants. The overhanging trees should be cut back off the roofline to prevent other pests such as Carpenter ants.

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