With over 12,000 different ant species found in the world and nearly on a every continent, it is not unheard of for people to meet an ant in their lives. People are experienced with these little insects and can recall receiving a little pinch when they are too close to food, the nest, or the queen. As their daily raids seem never ending, ants can be an annoying problem since they many colonies can have hundreds of thousands of members in them. There are quite a few species in Texas, and among them, are Pharaoh ants. Today, we at A-Tex Pest Management would like to discuss the basics of Pharaoh ants.
What Do Pharaoh Ants Look Like?
Pharaoh ant’s origins are unknown, which makes them an intriguing mystery to many scientists. These ants are among the smaller species as the average less than 1/8th of inch in length. These ants are nearly transparent but have a tinge of yellow or light brown color and often feature red and black markings on the abdomen. Pharaoh ants have a tendency to be a bigger problem inside hospitals and are a potential nuisance anywhere.
Where Do Pharaoh Ants Live & What Do They Eat?
The artificial heat in buildings is how these ants typically survive the winter. Pharaoh ants are generally found in the food service area in protected places in the building their nests are well hidden. When they stay outside, Pharaoh ants prefer warmer areas such as gardens and lawns. Proteins, fats, insects both living and dead, and having a soft spot to sweets, Pharaoh ants are omnivorous as they eat nearly anything in sight. With multiple queens, Pharaoh ants are polygynous. In their life as the females’ lifespan from 4-12 months, they will lay up to 400 eggs. Until it reaches an adult and the worker ants will live about 10 weeks from adulthood, it generally takes 28 days for an egg to go through the life stages.
Why Do I have Pharaoh Ants?
Along surfaces throughout all hours of the day, Pharaoh ants are well-noted as these tiny amber-colored workers foraging. These ants are most likely to nest in or close to the kitchen to conveniently find the favorable sweet foods. Pharaoh ants will often build their nest in refrigerator insulation in addition to the hollows of curtain rods, walls and cabinet voids, as well as the folds of clothes, sheets, and paper. These ants will look for other undisturbed dark spaces. People frequently see pharaoh ants marching throughout the home foraging for food as they follow the pheromone trails along baseboards and windowsills as well as long plumbing and electrical lines.
Ant Pest Inspections, Treatment, Control, Removal & More in Austin, Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville & Cedar Park Texas
As touched on earlier, Pharaoh ants are a particular problem for hospitals, particularly due to the diseases they can spread on otherwise sterile equipment and rooms. These ants will thrive under the worst conditions being very adaptable and building complex buddy-colonies systems. Because of their keen senses and survival abilities, Pharaoh ants can be a challenge to get rid of without professional control. If you have an ant problem in your Greater Austin, TX home, call A-Tex Pest Management and our professionals can ensure your ants are eliminated.
