Pharaoh Ants
Key
Features of Pharaoh Ants
A small, tropical species of ant, the pharaoh ant is
light yellow with a darker abdomen. It has a characteristic
‘double waist’. The workers are 2mm long,
with the larger queen being 3-4mm long.
Biology
One of the interesting facts about the pharaoh ant is
that each colony has many nests and also many queens.
Each new queen lays around 300 - 350 eggs during her
egg-laying spell and the eggs hatch in about a week.
Worker ants are able to form satellite colonies, leading
to the spread of infestation. They remove the developing
brood from an existing nest and form a new nest elsewhere.
Distribution
A small tropical species of ant, the pharaoh ant is
increasing in importance in the structures of large
centrally heated buildings, especially hospitals and
high rise blocks of flats where it can be a serious
public health pest.
Significance
A significant nuisance in food preparation areas, pharaoh
ants attack sweet food stuffs such as jam, fruit and
sugar. Because of their tendency towards multiple nest
sites, infestations can spread rapidly and be difficult
to control.
Control
There are specialist baits available for the control
of pharaoh ants, in both granular and gel form. Other
methods used to control conventional ant problems are
not recommended, as they are likely to encourage the
ants to form satellite colonies.
