Pharaoh Ants
Monomorium Pharaonis
Pharaoh ants are about 1/16” long and yellow to red in color. Colonies are very large with many thousand workers. Unlike most ant species there are no flights of swarmers and mating takes place in the nest. Pharaoh colonies have multiple queens and propagates by fission or budding.
Pharaoh ants are a common pest in homes, apartments, hotels, hospitals, and restaurants. Thanks to their small size and long range they are quick to infest new areas. Workers travel up to 148 feet from the nest to the food source. Pharaoh ants feed on a wide array of food such as syrups, fruit juice, honey, jelly, fruit, grease, dead insects, meats, and blood.
Pharaoh ants are dangerous in hospitals because they can transmit several pathogenic bacteria. These ants feed on blood and other bodily fluids so they will often get in patient wounds or intravenous feeding fluids.
Due to their small size, long foraging range, wide food preference, and budding behavior, pharaoh ants are one of the most challenging ants to eliminate once they infest a structure.