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FLORIDA ANTS
Your source for information
on Ants |
| Pharaoh Ants |
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Appearance:
Pharaoh ants have a pale yellow to orange or red body, and black shading on the top and rear portion of their abdomen. Often confused with other ant species such as the thief ant, pharaoh ants have twelve-segmented antennae with a three-segmented club.
Size:
Range from 1/16-inch to 1/12-inch in length.
Behavior:
Pharaoh ants tend to feed on sweets, proteins and insects. They forage in set trails along carpets, countertops, cabinets, floors, and baseboards, favoring warm, moist locations in which to nest. Their colonies can become very large with multiple queens; they are also very mobile, with the ability to form new, smaller colonies containing very few ants in a process called "budding”. They can breed continuously throughout the year.
Habitat:
Pharaoh ants can only survive outdoors in sub-tropical areas, where they are often found in leaf litter or rain gutter debris. Once inside, they can be found in wall and cabinets spaces, around insulation, behind baseboards and any other accessible crevices and spaces. They are often found in feeding trails on wiring or hot water pipes, which are used to travel through walls and between floors.
Unique Characteristics:
Pharaoh ants are known for their ability to “get into things”, often penetrating even the most sterile environments, including hospitals |
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and surgery rooms. They have even been observed seeking moisture from the mouths of sleeping newborn infants and from in-use IV bottles as well as blood plasma and wound dressings. They have even been found in sealed packs of sterile dressing.
Control:
Pharaoh ants pose a major threat due to their ability to nest indoors in almost every area of a building. They are thought to be able to transmit over a dozen pathogens, making their presence in hospitals in such sterile areas as burn centers extremely problematic.
Sealing any cracks or holes with caulking is helpful in reducing Pharaoh ant infestation. Setting ant baits in foraging “hot spots” around heated or moist areas works by distributing the poison to the various colonies. Although they have been known to avoid certain pesticides, a baiting regimen spread over an extended period of time often works best.
When insecticides are prohibited around high-tech equipment and in health areas, use sticky tapes, double-faced adhesive tapes and masking tape (glue side out) wrapped around objects as barriers.
Do you live in Florida and have an ant problem in your home or office? Floridabugs.com offers specifically designed pest control treatments to regulate and eliminate these pests! Floridabugs.com - the finest in Florida pest control. |
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