Pharaoh ants: why they are dangerous and how to get rid of them

Pharaoh ants in the apartment

Pharaoh ants got their name for a reason. They were first discovered by biologist C. Linnaeus when excavations were carried out in the Egyptian pyramids. That is why the insects received such a name, but not at all because they belonged to the ancient ruler Pharaoh. Populations of red ants migrated to Europe from India, which was made possible by sea vessels that transported various foodstuffs, in particular spices. Gradually, populations of red goosebumps multiplied and spread throughout all European countries. The ants found shelter in residential buildings, where three important conditions of existence were provided for them:

• warm;
• feed;
• water.

Pharaoh ants in an apartment are very small in size, sometimes not exceeding 1.2-2 mm, while the males from their colony are slightly larger - up to 2.5 mm, and females reach 4 mm. Pharaoh ants are also called red ants, due to the characteristic color of their body. Young ants are yellow in color, which turns light brown as they mature. In the photo below you can see what an ant of the pharaoh family is.

While males and worker ants are red in color, the queens are darker and sometimes look like ordinary black ants. A distinctive feature of red ants is a yellow stripe on the abdomen, which can be detected under a microscope. If you doubt whether pharaoh ants have really settled in your apartment, then just take one representative and look at it through a magnifying glass.

The main refuge of such insects are a wide variety of places in the apartment, where they settle in and create nests, and after breeding, entire colonies. Such places where insects can settle are:

• openings between walls;
• old books;
• old sofa or chair;
• under the floor;
• under baseboards;
• in sockets or switches;
• under bedside tables and wardrobes;
• under the refrigerator.

You need to look for ants in an apartment in places where there is no human access or where cleaning has not taken place for a long time, for example, under a wardrobe. The nest is a secluded place where the queens lay eggs. Why wombs? As a rule, each type of ant has one queen or queen, around which the worker ants rotate. But with pharaoh ants everything is different; they have several females in each nest. With the birth of each new female, a new nest is created. Therefore, it is not difficult to imagine what will happen in a year if such insects appear in your apartment. The eggs and larvae are guarded by worker ants. The females are constantly in their nest and never leave it, and the working goosebumps provide her not only with food, but also protect their offspring.

If you begin to notice ants with wings in your house, this means that the reproduction of ants has moved to the second stage, since these are young females who will soon organize their own colony

If you find that ants, also called lionfish, have begun to fly around the apartment, then these are young queens who have escaped from the nests to look for new places to settle. It is at this point that care should be taken to destroy the colony as soon as possible.

The eggs of pharaoh ants are small in size, up to 0.3 mm, which are very rare to find in an apartment. The offspring are always protected by ants and queens, but if a nest of insects is discovered, then it is necessary to quickly take measures to eliminate it. Ants understand when they are discovered and it only takes a few hours for them to move to a new secluded place. It is also worth understanding that the issue of destroying a discovered nest must be approached correctly, since a whip will definitely not help here. It is necessary to use either modern insecticides or traditional methods, which we will learn about later.

Pharaoh ants are so thermophilic that they cannot tolerate temperatures dropping below 18 degrees and die out almost immediately. Only in rare cases can insects survive a short-term temperature drop of up to 10 degrees. Insects become active on hot sunny days. Pharaoh ants cannot be found in the wild, so they almost never fight with their relatives of other species.

Despite the fact that ants do not fight with their relatives from other species, they are also friendly between their nests. They do not attack people or bite them, since they are simply not able to bite through the skin. Therefore, the opinion that you were bitten by red ants at night is wrong. They do not attack people and, moreover, do not bite us.

Habitats

Habitat of ants
Pharaoh ants are heat-loving insects; temperatures below 20 degrees are detrimental to them.
Insects usually build nests under baseboards, in ceilings, under floors and in furniture drawers. They prefer to be located in a hard-to-reach place, and therefore it is not always possible to destroy the inhabitants of the anthill. In addition, these crumbs, actively moving through narrow cracks, quickly infect neighboring apartments. Most often, pests can be found in the kitchen or bathroom.

Why are house ants dangerous for humans?

Pharaoh ants carry a hidden threat, which consists of spreading various infections throughout the house. Ants not only feed on fresh food, but also actively visit garbage chutes, from where they carry food for their queens to the colony. Along with such waste from garbage disposals, ants bring various microbiological infections into the house, such as staphylococcus, streptococcus, chlamydia.

One ant can travel up to 35 meters from its nest in search of food. At the same time, he finds his way back quite easily and quickly. This is the main danger that red ants hide within themselves. In addition, it is important to note that the proliferation of nests will lead to these small insects filling every corner in your apartment. After their birth, young queens will quickly fly around the apartment, frightening household members with their unpleasant appearance. As a result, it will all come down to the fact that you will need to move out of your house or apartment so that special insect control teams can carry out a comprehensive cleaning of the premises from pests.

Getting rid of pests of this kind is not easy, so the approach to solving the problem must be correct and comprehensive. Ants reproduce very quickly and also have relatively high life rates. Worker goosebumps live for about two months, males are shorter - up to 44 days, and females are able to actively reproduce as many as 273 days a year. The males die after mating with the queen, several weeks later.

Young females have wings even before the first mating, which fall off after mating.

Lifestyle

Pharaoh ants live in colonies. Each insect plays its own role in the nest. Working individuals are engaged in obtaining food, building an anthill and taking care of the queen. Males are necessary for mating - after the queen is fertilized, they are killed by worker ants.

At one time, the female lays about 400 eggs. The active breeding season for pharaoh ants is summer. In the cold season, insect reproduction decreases.

The lifespan of house ants is not very long:

• Males live for about three weeks;
• Working individuals – 2 months;
• The uterus lives for about 9 months.

REFERENCE: Males and females of the pharaoh ant mate without leaving the nest - this is why the number of ants increases very quickly.

Ways to control household pests

The appearance of pharaoh ants in an apartment turns into a real nightmare for household members. Although they do not attack humans, the victim becomes food, which they quickly transfer to their anthill. How to get rid of house ants quickly and effectively? To begin with, it should be noted that it will not be possible to get rid of insects quickly, especially if the attempts are individual. The first step is to visit your neighbors and interview them about problems with household insects. If you have ants in your apartment, your neighbors will probably suffer from their infestations. Any actions you take to fight ants alone will be simply useless. After all, even if you find an anthill and try to destroy it, soon a new queen will appear in its place, hatching from a neighboring nest and forming a new colony.

If you discover the presence of several ants in an apartment, then you should not rush to kill them. You need to keep an eye on them, because they will definitely return to their nest, and you can figure out which area of ​​the apartment to look for the parasites’ shelter. If the colony has not yet been formed, and you managed to find a place where the conveyor begins to work for the appearance of new goosebumps, then just pick up a vacuum cleaner and clean the place from pests. After this, you need to periodically check the area every day for signs of new insects.

If ants have been living in an apartment for a long time and have already managed to multiply, then it is better not to waste time, money and effort, but to contact specialized insect removal services. They will do it quickly, efficiently and efficiently. If insects reappear, such services will clean up for free. If you are not ready to spend money, then you can do without such services, but you must connect all your neighbors or even the entire house. This is the only way to deal a serious blow to annoying household pests. We will find out below what methods of fighting ants exist.

• Aerosols. Using aerosols, it is necessary to spray the places and surfaces in the apartment where insects live. Such preparations allow you to obtain an effective result only if you spray an aerosol on the nest. Spraying the product on solitary ants will have no effect on the extinction of the colony. The most difficult moment in such a situation is to find the anthill, since this is sometimes very difficult to do.

• Powder insecticides. Slow-acting drugs, but more effective in destroying the colony. To do this, you need to sprinkle the powder in those places where insects live or crawl out. They will definitely run over it, and when they try to clean their paws, they will be infected with poison. Arriving at the colony, they will bring with them poison that will affect, if not the entire colony, then most of it. The effect of the drug begins a few days after the ant is infected.

• Insecticides in gel form. It has a similar effect to powder preparations, only the gels basically contain, in addition to poison, also bait. The ants eat these baits, thereby becoming infected. They carry the gel into the anthill, thereby endangering the lives of the queens and working ants. The product has a slow effect, but its effectiveness in completely destroying anthills reaches 100%.

• Folk remedies. If there is no modern insecticide for ants available, then it doesn’t matter. The problem can be solved using folk remedies. These include:

• boric acid, which can be purchased at a pharmacy;
• borax;
• corn flour;
• sunflower oil;
• yeast.

See also: effective home recipes for ants (video)

Despite the fact that some of the drugs are food for humans, they are real poison for ants. Some folk substances are included in modern insecticides. Such preparations must be sprinkled in insect habitats.

Which of the above drugs to use is a personal matter for everyone. To increase efficiency, you can use several different means, but at the same time, not forgetting about an integrated approach to solving the current problem.

If all the neighbors agree to remove ants, except one, then it is to this apartment that the insects will retreat to escape. You need to report such risks in order to prevent unpleasant consequences in the future.

Invasion of pharaoh ants: how to get rid of the problem

To effectively control insects, it is necessary to locate the nest (or nests). You should not immediately try to destroy all the insects that catch your eye - a very small percentage of ants are engaged in obtaining food. It is much better to try to trace their route . You can quickly destroy an insect nest using a vacuum cleaner.

Do not forget about the heat-loving nature of this type of ant. In a house with autonomous heating, it is often enough to turn off the heating for a week to get rid of this problem. Insects begin to die when the temperature drops to 10 °C. If access to water is completely blocked, ants die within a few days, but without food they can live for several weeks (food supplies help).

The sooner you start the fight, the better. The easiest way to get rid of ants is when they have just settled in the apartment and have not had time to spread much. In particularly advanced cases, when insects have occupied the entire house, you cannot do without specialists . The neighbors must all fight together, otherwise even one remaining nest will soon restore the number of destroyed insects.

How to get rid of pharaoh ants in an apartment using folk remedies

The fight against insects usually begins with simple methods. Folk remedies are accessible, cheap and harmless. If you don't miss the moment, they are quite effective. Don’t forget that you need to start the fight by cleaning the house. The less food available in the room, the easier it will be to get rid of uninvited guests. The most common folk remedies are :

1. Coffee (used grounds will also work). Insects are sensitive to caffeine. They like the smell, but the product itself kills. Bait with coffee or coffee grounds should be placed near the nest. It is advisable to exclude other food sources. To enhance the effect, coffee can be mixed with honey. This method does not work immediately, but is quite reliable. The ants will disappear in a few weeks.
2. Boric acid. Corrodes the chitin that covers insects. It does not act instantly; the workers have time to carry the poison to the nest. Acid can be scattered along the path of the ants, or various baits can be prepared. For example, mix 1 tsp. boric acid with 1 tbsp. l. minced meat. Roll into balls and place them on the floor.
3. Kerosene. Ants cannot stand its smell. You need to soak cotton swabs in kerosene and place them where you saw the ants. It’s good to water an insect nest with it if you manage to find one.
4. Sunflower oil. Must be unrefined. Insects really don't like its smell. This method has one significant drawback - it leaves greasy marks. If you smear the floor near the nest with it, this will prevent the insects from getting through for food and will force them to leave soon.
5. Vinegar. One of the safest means. Thanks to its pungent odor, it helps repel insects. A solution of vinegar and water (1:1) is generously sprayed along the path of the ants, and the tables and floor are treated with it. Destroys the specific smell that ants use to mark their path to food.
6. Hot peppers. Black and red pepper are excellent at repelling ants. It is enough to scatter it near the intended nest and along the entire route.
7. Yeast. Dry yeast will also help remove ants from your apartment. Due to their ability to ferment, they cause the death of insects and also spoil food supplies in the nest. Mix 1 tbsp. l. yeast with 1 tsp. sugar and 1 tsp. water. Pour into small containers and place near the nest.

How to get rid of pharaoh ants using chemical means

Chemical products are considered more effective, but can be dangerous for children and pets. On sale you can find drugs for every taste and income. The following types of funds are popular:

• insecticidal chalks;
• aerosols;
• traps;
• gels.

Insecticidal chalks are quite effective, although they do not work immediately.
The insect carries particles of the product into the nest, poisoning not only itself, but also its relatives. Aerosols and sprays are very convenient to use, act instantly, but release toxic substances into the air. If the nest is not found, then destroying the workers with aerosols will not help much.

Traps also kill only a small percentage of ants, which the female can quickly replenish. They are effective only for neutralizing scouts - insects that are looking for a suitable room to form a new nest.

Gels are effective and safe for humans, but do not act instantly. They attract ants with their smell, which readily carry the poison into the nest. Usually after a few weeks the insects disappear from the apartment.

Do repellers help remove ants?

Many people believe that removing ants can be much easier. After all, for this there are many different electromagnetic repellers, stickies or scents. But here everything is not so simple, because defeating ants means destroying them, and if you install repellers, they will simply visit other apartments, but at the same time they will continue to live behind your wall, in the floor or under the wardrobe. As soon as the effect of the product wears off, the ants will crawl back to you in search of food and water.

Sellers not only offer to purchase repellers, but also recommend them, justifying this by the fact that they are very effective. They are not effective because they do not kill the pest, but only repel it temporarily. In addition, it is important to know that over time the parasite will develop immunity to these types of repellers and will not be afraid of them. The protection of your apartment will be reduced.

If you are really going to overcome annoying insects once and for all, then use more rational methods. The best protection for an apartment from unexpected insect invasion is prevention.

Home methods

By resorting to one of the methods listed below, you can easily forget about the existence of annoying pests on your site.

Repelling ants

Some plants contain essential oils, this smell can repel insects, such plants include:

• tansy;
• parsley;
• anise;
• mustard;
• laurel;
• mint;
• valerian;
• marigold;
• carnation;
• onion;
• garlic.

In order for this method to work, it is necessary to place the stems and leaves of the indicated plants along the ant passages, next to their nests, their paths; if you need to neutralize bushes, fruits, and berries, then tie the indicated plants around their trunks.

Ants cannot stand the smell of garlic; it is very unpleasant for them; if you rub plants and trunks with garlic, they will run away in search of a more pleasant and tasty-smelling plant.

Herbs

But not only by rubbing, laying out and tying these plants, you can save yourself from pests. You can make the fight beautiful - plant marigold flowers, mats, valerians where needed.

They will also be scared off by the smell of mint infusion, lavender, marigold flowers, wormwood infusion, as well as onion peels.

Anthill shading

You can try to defeat small nests using shade. As a rule, ants look for well-lit and warm places to build their colonies, since they need to raise pupae and acclimate them to light in such comfortable conditions. Thus, having tightly shaded the anthill, its inhabitants will quickly begin to run away in search of more comfortable conditions.

Moving an anthill

How to get rid of pests without completely destroying them? The following method works great. Armed with a shovel, dig out the nest with all the inhabitants deeper and move it away from the site. But this method is suitable if the anthill is small! This method is easy and humane towards insects, and also does not disturb the ecosystem on the site.

Boric acid

How to poison ants with boric acid? Boric acid is a white powdery substance that is odorless and tasteless. Does not dissolve very well in water. It is worth noting that this chemical has found wide application, since it is completely harmless to humans. This product is available for use by everyone, its cost is low, it is one of the most effective means of combating red ants and more!

It has a strong effect on the body of ants, after which they die. They die quite quickly, within a few hours.

Boric acid is used in two forms:

• Liquid: you need to take 50 grams of water and sugar and mix the solution with five grams of boric acid. The resulting mixture can also be mixed with something sweet to better attract ants.
• Dry: for a dry ant trap, boric acid is mixed with sugar, water is absolutely forbidden to be added and the accumulation areas are sprinkled.

The recipe does not work quickly, but it is quite effective! In just a week you will forget about the existence of pests on your site.

Other grandma's recipes

1. Insects love sweets very much. It is necessary to place jars of jam, honey, or dilute sugar with water in the garden, lawn, or summer cottage. Ants will climb into the jars with the contents to feast on them, but the gardener simply needs to fill the jars with boiling water, thus killing the annoying insects.
2. Baking soda is used to sprinkle paths and passages. Baking soda acts as a poison on ants. If you mix baking soda with powdered sugar, the ants will eat the sweet poison and die.
3. You can make a soda solution (dilute 2 tablespoons of soda per 0.5 liter of water) and use it to water the anthill.
4. You can also spill the anthill to the very bottom with various intolerable liquids: boiling water, warm lime, livestock urine.
5. Feed with cereals such as: semolina, corn flour, millet. The pest, having eaten such cereals, will die, since the cereals will begin to swell in the stomach, and the ant is not able to digest such food.
6. Regular dry mustard helps a lot in the fight. It is enough to simply sprinkle a thick layer of powder along the paths of movement. Powder particles will interfere with the breathing of insects, which will lead to their flight.

Cereals from ants

What does the pharaoh ant eat and why is it dangerous?

These ants have a sweet tooth; they prefer sweet foods. In nature, it feeds on flower nectar, sweet plant secretions and insects. If there are pharaoh ants in an apartment, they happily consume sweets, protein and fatty foods, bread and any leftover food. In Western countries it is called "sugar ant".

These ants appear almost wherever food is available. They will travel along electrical wires and plumbing pipes and spread inside and outside buildings.

Although the pharaoh ant does not bite, the insect can negatively affect people in other ways. It carries and can transmit many pathogens such as Salmonella, Staphylococcus and Clostridium, which cause botulism.

Ants can transmit diseases in hospitals or other health care settings. The pharaoh ant tends to warm, humid places, increasing the risk of indoor pollution. They have become a serious threat in hospitals, vacation homes, condominiums, apartments, office buildings, hotels and motels, grocery stores, factories. Spread in hospitals is especially problematic because these ants can transmit more than a dozen pathogens.