Pharaoh Ant

Where it lives

Nests inside wall voids, behind tiles, in electrical trunking, under kitchen units and in laundry areas: anywhere warm, humid and undisturbed. Colonies contain many queens and split when disturbed.

Signs

• Very small yellowish ants in bathrooms, kitchens and around drains
• Ants found in sealed food packets, medical dressings or hospital wards
• Trails running along heating pipes and cable runs rather than skirting boards
• Sudden appearance of several new trails after an insecticide spray was used

Risks

• Mechanically transmits Salmonella, Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas
• Serious contamination risk in kitchens, clinics and care homes
• Infests sterile supplies, dressings and drip lines in medical settings
• Budding behaviour means DIY sprays multiply the problem

Prevention

• Never spray a suspected Pharaoh ant trail. Always bait it
• Fix leaking taps and dry out condensation traps
• Keep refuse in sealed bins away from the building envelope
• Seal service penetrations through walls and floors

Treatment

Control is by protein and carbohydrate gel bait applied over several weeks, alternating formulations because colonies switch food preference. Insecticide sprays are strictly avoided. In apartment blocks and institutions we bait every affected unit at the same time, because treating one flat alone simply pushes the colony next door.