Pest Library
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All it takes is one pest sighting to ruin the reputation you’ve worked so hard to build.
Pharaoh Ant
Monomorium pharaonis.Linnaeus
The pharaoh ant is known for being a major indoor nuisance. They can be a serious problem in hospitals, because their small size allows them to access wounds and instruments, causing spread of infection or electrical interference. The nests of pharaoh ants are very small and usually occur under floors, behind baseboards, under stones, in cement wall voids, etc.
RISK LEVEL:
LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
Risk is defined as how much damage each pest can be to you, your family, or your home
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| Class: | Order: | Family: | |
| Insecta | Hymenoptera | Formicidae | |
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| 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. |
| Characteristics: | Pharaoh ants are almost transparent and yellow to orange in color. They are all a uniform size, about 1/16 inch long. |
| Geographic Range: | Probably native to Africa, but found throughout the U.S. |
| Food: | 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. |
- 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.
- Investigate indoor moisture spots, such as houseplants, sinks, and bathrooms.
- Check food spots such as dirty dishes, microwave oven, garbage containers.
- Watch windowsills for dead insects.
- Outdoors, search the building perimeter and shaded parts of flat roofs, early and late in the day.