Pharaoh Ants 

Welcome to the Pharaoh Ants page at PESTWISE. Learn all about these destructive pests and how our expert team can help you eliminate them from your property.

Pharaoh Ant

Scientific Name: Monomorium pharaonis

Identification: Pharaoh ants are tiny (1.5–2 mm long) and pale yellow to reddish-golden in color, with a darker abdomen. They have a two-node waist and lack a stinger, but they can still bite. Their small size and light coloring make them difficult to spot, especially on light-colored surfaces.

Unlike other ants, pharaoh ants are known for their “budding” behavior — when threatened, a colony splits and forms multiple new nests. This makes them very difficult to eliminate with sprays or repellent products, which often cause the infestation to spread further.

Habitat: Pharaoh ants thrive in warm, humid, and protected indoor environments, making them one of the most difficult indoor pests to control. They commonly build nests in:

  • Wall voids

  • Behind baseboards

  • Inside electrical outlets

  • Under floors and tiles

  • Inside cabinets, especially in kitchens and bathrooms

  • Hospital equipment, vending machines, and commercial kitchens

Outdoors, they rarely survive colder climates like Ontario’s — so nearly all infestations are indoors and persistent year-round.

Their nests are small and dispersed, often linked by trails. A single building can house dozens of satellite colonies, each capable of producing new nests through budding — where a few workers and a queen split off to form a new nest nearby.

Behavior: Pharaoh ants are one of the most persistent and challenging household ants due to their colony structure and budding behavior.

  • They are non-aggressive, slow-moving ants that follow well-defined scent trails to food and water.

  • Colonies can contain hundreds of thousands of workers and multiple queens.

  • When stressed (by sprays, temperature changes, or food scarcity), colonies “bud”, splitting into smaller sub-colonies and spreading throughout the building.

  • Workers are active 24/7 and forage long distances for protein, sugar, and grease-based foods.

  • Commonly infest healthcare facilities, residential buildings, hotels, and food-handling establishments.

Risks & Concerns: 

  • Health Risk in Sensitive Environments
    Pharaoh ants are known to invade hospitals and care facilities, where they can contaminate sterile equipment and wound dressings. They’re capable of carrying and spreading pathogens such as Staphylococcus and Salmonella.

  • Difficult to Eliminate
    Their budding behavior makes traditional spray treatments risky — they don’t eliminate the colony, but instead cause it to spread further.

  • Contaminate Food and Surfaces
    These ants forage in garbage bins, drains, and bathrooms, then travel across kitchen surfaces, food packaging, and prep areas — increasing the risk of cross-contamination.

  • Year-Round Infestation
    Because they nest indoors and require little external input, pharaoh ants can infest buildings all year, with no dormant period.

Life Cycle: Pharaoh ants undergo complete metamorphosis, meaning they pass through four distinct stages:

  1. Egg
    Tiny, oval, white eggs laid by multiple queens in hidden nest chambers.

  2. Larva
    Legless, curved white grubs that rely entirely on worker ants for feeding.

  3. Pupa
    Develop inside cocoon-like cases. This is the transitional stage where larvae transform into adults.

  4. Adult
    Emerges as a worker, male, or queen. Colonies typically have many queens and can produce new reproductives rapidly.

Key Notes:

  • Budding allows parts of the colony (including a queen and workers) to break off and form a new nest.

  • The full cycle from egg to adult may take 38–45 days in ideal indoor conditions.

  • Pharaoh ant colonies are polygynous, meaning they have multiple queens, which contributes to rapid population growth and spread.

Signs of Infestation:

  • Tiny Ants on Counters or Walls
    Often spotted along kitchen backsplashes, bathroom edges, or baseboards — especially near sinks or water sources.

  • Persistent Indoor Activity
    Pharaoh ants are indoor-nesting and may be seen year-round, unlike seasonal outdoor ants.

  • Unusual Foraging Trails
    Long, thin trails in and around electrical sockets, wall outlets, along baseboards, or behind appliances.

  • Recurring Infestation Despite Sprays
    Colonies that persist or resurface in new areas after treatment may be pharaoh ants — especially if spray treatments were used.

  • Sightings in Hospitals or Medical Areas
    These ants are known to nest inside medical equipment, behind wall tiles, and under flooring in warm, humid spaces.

Prevention Tips:

  1. Eliminate Food and Water Sources

    • Keep countertops, sinks, and floors clean and dry

    • Store all food (including pet food) in airtight containers

  2. Seal Entry Points

    • Use caulk or weather stripping to seal cracks around windows, baseboards, and pipes

  3. Avoid Spray Insecticides

    • Repellent sprays cause pharaoh ants to scatter and form new colonies (budding), making the infestation worse

    • Use only professional-grade non-repellent baits

  4. Maintain Dry Environments

    • Fix leaks, reduce humidity, and ventilate high-moisture areas like bathrooms and basements

  5. Professional Monitoring

    • Pharaoh ants are difficult to eliminate without expert help. Routine inspections are key for multi-unit or high-risk buildings

Pestwise Treatment Approach

At Pestwise, we use precise and non-disruptive methods to treat pharaoh ant infestations without causing colony budding or spread.

1. Inspection: We identify foraging trails, entry points, and nesting sites using non-intrusive techniques. Special attention is given to kitchens, wall voids, electrical outlets, and high-humidity areas.

2. Non-Repellent Gel Baiting: We apply slow-acting gel baits that workers carry back to the colony. These are strategically placed in inaccessible areas to ensure safe and effective colony elimination.

3. Avoidance of Repellents: Pharaoh ants scatter when disturbed. We never use repellent sprays, as they can cause colonies to split and spread further through budding.

4. Monitoring and Follow-Up: We place bait stations and monitoring points, then return for follow-ups to adjust placement and dosage based on ant activity and client reports.

5. Long-Term Prevention Support: For high-risk locations like apartments or medical buildings, we offer scheduled inspections and proactive baiting plans.

Warranty: This service includes a 3-month warranty with the option to extend under our seasonal pest protection plan

Contact PESTWISE today for a free estimate on Pharaoh Ant extermination services!

Don't let these destructive pests take over your property. Our team of experts is here to help.