Key Features:
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.

If you have a problem with pharaoh ants, Safeguard can help you! Contact us today for more information.