Pharaoh Ant

Sub-family:Myrmecinae

Common name: Pharaoh Ant

Scientific name: Monomorium pharaonis

Key Features

· Golden brown to brown in colour

· 2 nodes on their pedicel

· Antennae are clubbed with 3 enlarged segments

· No odour when crushed

Key features and biology

The pharaoh ant is actually quite uncommon in houses or as a store pest within Oz. They have a two segmented waist similar to the coastal brown ant however, they lack a major workforce.

They are found frequently within hospitals and have also earned the nickname ‘hospital ant’. The Pharaoh Ant infests all varieties of foods. They are an ant species that has multiple queens within the colony structure (polygynous) and their nests can be interconnected (polydomous); it’s for this reason that their infestations are often quite large. Their queens live for only four to twelve months and the worker for approximately three months.

Their worker caste is (monomorphic) i.e. single caste. But their workers vary in sizes from 1.5-2 mm. The workforce might also forage over larger distance. Pharaoh ants also commonly nest within the structure of buildings, usually within wall voids, or more frequently in the warmer areas of the structure. Due to their large potential size of an infestation and the fact that they distribute throughout a building quite quickly they can be very hard to manage.

Food preferences

They are primarily a protein feeding species but are known to occasionally feed on sugars as well as oils and fats, though to a lesser extent.

Size

Approx. 1.5 – 2 mm

Ants are no issue for the team at A1 Pest Control, you can ring us up on 0417 251 911, and we’ll take care of any ant problem and give you a last minute appointment if the situation is dire!

“Ants could be a mere nuisance but can quickly develop into a vast infestation if untended. Don’t let it get to that point!” – Bruce Gow