Pharoah Ant
Pharoah Ants
Size
Pharaoh ant workers and males are about 1/16 in (1.5-2 mm) long; queens are about 1/8 in (4 mm).
Color
Body is pale yellow to red; darker abdomen is almost black; queens are slightly darker.
Where
Probably native to Africa, but found throughout the U.S.
Habitat
Pharaoh ant nests are usually indoors where there is warmth and high humidity. They may also be found on the ground outdoors, and in debris which has collected on a flat roof.
Diet
Workers establish trails to feeding spots, and may go far for food and water. They eat sweets, meat, and dead insects.
Biology
Colonies usually have thousands of workers, up to several hundred thousand. In a large colony there are several hundred females that can lay eggs. They cannot survive the winter in much of the U.S.; however, they do overwinter in Florida and Hawaii. Indoors they can survive year round. There is no swarming. Mating takes place inside the nest. Development from egg to adult takes about 38 days, if the temperature is warm. Workers live about 9 or 10 weeks, with only 10% going out to feed at one time. Queens live much longer, from 4 to 12 months. Males die about 3-5 weeks after mating. New nests can be formed with as few as 5 workers, 10 preadults, and 1 queen.
Damage
Pharaoh ants are believed to spread various diseases. They are a common problem in hotels, grocery stores, hospitals, and apartments.
Detection
1. Beware! Common ant repellents actually cause a Pharaoh ant colony to grow. The ants disappear to find new nest sites, and in 7-10 days there are multiple colonies.
2. Investigate indoor moisture spots, such as houseplants, sinks, and bathrooms.
3. Check food spots, such as pet food dishes, microwave oven, garbage containers.
4. Watch windowsills for dead insects.
5. Outdoors, search the building perimeter, and shaded parts of flat roofs, early and late in the day.
Control
1. Place bait stations (one for every line of ants) close to the trail, and close to the place Pharaoh ants are entering and leaving, but in a way that will not disturb them.
2. In a multi-family residential building, inspection and treatment must include all units. Otherwise, Pharaoh ants will simply relocate to non-treated units.
3. If nesting is outdoors, a barrier application may help.
4. Repair poorly sealed windows and flashings.
5. Learn about the biology of Pharaoh ants, and use good strategy! Use only pesticides registered for this species, read entire label before use, and carefully observe all label directions, restrictions and precautions.