Appearance
Pharaoh Ants are small, about 1/16-inch long, light yellow to red in color, with black markings on the abdomen.
Reproduction
Pharaoh Ants grow from egg to adult in about 45 days; queens live as long as 39 weeks
and can lay about 400 eggs; workers only live up to 10 weeks.
Pharaoh Ants, being extremely small, can be found in a diversity of places.
They have a wide range of foraging and their nests are
usually well hidden.
They are very persistent, with large colonies.
Habits
Phraoh Ants are a very common inside Ant in Florida. Inside they are usually found in the kitchen and bathrooms, but workers
are most commonly seen trailing along window sills and baseboards.
They can also be spotted near sources of water in the kitchen and bathrooms, counter tops, toilets, drains, and sinks.
Indoors they prefer to nest in recessed areas like wall voids, under some appliances, in wall outlets, and under carpets for protection.
Pharaoh Ants can nest outdoors in lawns and gardens.
How to Get Rid of Pharoah Ants
Unless you use a non-repellent spray, baiting is the preferred treatment over
typical residual spraying.
Baiting is the most reliable way to eliminate the entire colony.
When choosing Ant baits, it is best to choose from both the sugar-based baits and protein/grease-based baits. If using a spray, choose a non-repellent type unless you are treating the nest itself.
Why Ant Bait?
The use of residual
sprays or dusts stress Ant colonies,
causing them to split
into sub-colonies and scatter.
This scattering, also called budding, multiplies the number of Ant colonies, and thereby multiplies your Ant problem.
When you bait, use a slow-acting bait.
Quick-kill insecticides and baits will only kill the foraging Ants,
not allowing those worker Ants to take the bait back home to feed the queen,
nest workers, and brood.
If the Ant bait that you are currently using is not effective (if the Ants are not visiting the bait)
you will need to change the baits.
Slow-acting baits provide a variety of the foods the Ants find in nature.
Examples are: other insects (proteins/grease-based baits), nectar, aphid honeydew, and plant products (sugar and carbohydrates found in sweet-based baits).
Choosing a bait requires an understanding of the nutritional needs of the colony.
To be sure that you have all the baiting needs met,
you may want to be ready with a sugar/carbohydrate-based bait,
a grease/fat-based bait, and a protein-based bait.
IMPORTANT NOTE: REMOVE ALL OTHER FOOD COMPETITION WHEN BAITING
AND LEAVE THE BAIT ALONE ONCE THE ANTS START FEEDING ON IT.
Non-Repellents For Outside and Inside Ant Control
Spraying for Odorous Ants with Non-Repellents
The best insecticides for Ant control are non-repellent insecticides such as Taurus SC, Termidor SC, Optigard Flex, Alpine Aerosol, and Phantom Aerosol. Termidor SC and Taurus SC are labeled for inside usage.
Unless you can treat the nest directly, spraying
is not an effective solution for Odorous House Ants, unless you use
a non-repellent insecticide or "undetectable" liquid treatments such as Phantom Aerosol or Alpine Aerosols (both labeled for inside use). Optigard Flex is another very good non-repellent, also labeled for inside use and very effective against Odorous Ants.
Unlike older insecticides,
non-repellent insecticides can't be smelled, tasted, or even
felt by pests. They crawl through the treated area, and ingesting treated materials or merely contacting
the residual insecticide results in their eventual death. This type of control is incompatible with treatments such as repellent sprays that prevent workers from delivering the non-repellent insecticide residue to the nest.
