Physical Characteristics

Pharoah ants are 1/16th inch long. These ants are yellow to reddish in color, and almost transparent looking. Queens are about 1/8 inch long and slightly darker than workers.

Pharoah Ant

Pharaoh Ant

Behavior

Pharaoh ants, which may have gotten  their name from rumors they caused a plague in ancient Egypt, are widely considered one of the most difficult pest species to control. They don’t really like the outdoors much, so they will move indoors to nest near warm and humid areas, in close proximity to food sources. Often, Pharaoh ants will nest in such hard-to-reach places as wall voids, under floors, and in furniture. Pharoah ants will forage night and day and are a common problem in hotels, grocery stores, hospitals, and apartment complexes – especially in hospitals, where they act as a vector for such pathogens as Salmonella and Streptococcus. Like Argentine ants, Pharaoh ants live in colonies have many queens and seem compatible with one another; they are less inclined to go to war than the more aggressive species of ants.

Treatment:

Because of the pervasive nature of Pharaoh ant’s infestations, and the many places they will establish nests in a structure, containment and eradication are best left to a pest management professional. This is vitally important, because Pharaoh ant colonies will splinter, or bud, into a number of smaller colonies, if sprays are used. Clark’s highly trained technicians have the expert knowledge to solve any Pharaoh ant infestations you may be experiencing.

Latin name: Monomorium pharaonis