In this article, I’ll be giving you useful tips on how to get rid of Pharaoh Ants.
Ants in general can be a real problem, Pharaoh ants could be worse, being that their queen can lay as many as 400 eggs in her lifetime. That being said, a Pharaoh ant infestation is something you’d like to avoid.
If you have this problem and you’re not sure how to solve it, then keep reading.
About Pharaoh Ants
Pharaoh Ants are quite tiny, but similar to other ant species, they have colonies. They are also hard workers and prefer warm environments.
They have a very wide diet range and can feed on anything from sweet foods, to proteins, as well as dead or living insects.
As I mentioned earlier, their queen lays about 400 eggs during her lifespan and it takes about 47 days for the eggs to hatch.
Since they are so tiny, they can travel to almost anywhere and can fit into very compact spaces. The workers forage far away from their nest in search of food, and they make their way back using the trail pheromones left behind.
If uncontrolled, pharaoh ants will set up other colonies if the original colony becomes too large.
Pharaoh ants can be found both inside and outside the home. If you spit them indoors, then it’s most likely around plumbing pipes, window sills, cracks, and crevices, around book piles or paper sheets, clothing, and around sweet foods in the kitchen.
Outdoors, they can build their nests in a garden or lawn. They need a constant source of moisture so you can also find them around the sprinklers and other leaking pipes.
How To Get Rid Of Pharaoh Ants In The Home
A Pharaoh ant infestation isn’t something you should take lightly, as they can build their colonies fast and spread all over your home. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to get rid of them.
Follow the tips below to eliminate Pharaoh ants.
Locate Them
If you notice a few worker ants creeping along with your kitchen cabinet, then you can be sure there are a lot more. The first step to eradicating them is to figure out where they are.
Knowing where to look will be of great help to you. They love being around water sources and anywhere they can find sweet, proteinous foods. Remember they can also feed on dead or living insects, so if you have indoor potted plants, they may lurk around in search of insects to eat.
Look around your kitchen and check under the sink, also take a look at your bathroom pipes to see if they are around leaking pipes. If you have cracks in your walls, then they have probably made their way in there as well.
Remove Their Sources Of Nutrition
Pharaoh ants will not stay in your home for long if they cannot find any form of nutrition (food and water). They are travelers and will move on quickly if their current environment has nothing to offer.
For this reason, be sure to eliminate anything that attracts them into your home.
Go around your kitchen and search for dripping pipes. If you find any, be sure to get them tightly sealed. You may need a plumber for this if you have no experience with plumbing.
Do the same for your bathroom and make sure there is no unwanted leakage around.
As for food, you should keep all sweet foods securely stored and away from the reach of the ants. You can use plastic containers to store granulated sugar and make sure the lids are tightly sealed.
Leftover foods can also attract them, so be sure to dump them in the bin when you’re done eating. The bin should also be securely sealed, remember, they are very tiny so they can fit into tight spaces to get to the food.
Also, make it a habit to wipe off your dining table (or anywhere else you eat) after your meals. They will pounce on the tiniest food droppings or oil stains on your table.
Limit Their Hiding Or Crawl Spaces
Since they are so small, it would be very difficult to shut out every available hiding space. Nonetheless, you can limit the number of spaces available to them.
Start by sealing off all the cracks in your walls, as this is a favorite crawl space for ants in general. You can use caulk to seal off the cracks.
If you’ve got piles of books or old clothes in your cupboard or shelf, then be sure to clear them out, especially if you no longer have any use for them.
Combining this with the elimination of their food and water sources will reduce the occurrence of Pharaoh ants in your home.
Use Insecticides
The quickest way to get rid of worker ants present in your home is with the use of insecticides. A chemical-based insecticide will have them dead in a matter of minutes.
Visit a store near you to buy one, that is if you don’t have one already.
As you discover their areas of activity inside your house, you can spray directly on them to kill them. Go under your kitchen sink, the bathroom, cracks and crevices, and around your bookshelf (or other book piles) and spray thoroughly.
I have to mention though, using an insecticide on the ants indoors will kill them, but that will not do the colony. You will only be killing the workers present at the time and others may return.
If you’re using a chemical-based insecticide, then you need to take precautionary measures before you begin spraying. The insecticide can kill the ants, but it is also harmful to humans if excessively inhaled or ingested.
For your protection, you need to put on a facemask to guard your nose and mouth against the spray. A pair of gloves will come in handy too, as they will protect your fingers from making contact with the spray.
The rooms or areas you sprayed should also be off-limits, at least until the insecticide has done its job and worn off.
After spraying, store the insecticide in an area that cannot be accessed by pets or children, for their safety.
Organically-made recipes are the safer option, although they do not kill as fast as the chemical-based versions. However, you can be sure your pets and children will be 100% safe during and after its use.
You can make one using garlic and cayenne pepper. Grind the garlic and pepper and mix it with some water. Stir thoroughly to make sure it all blends in. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and visit the areas where the ants are active and spray directly on them.
Garlic irritates ants and the pepper will leave them with a burning sensation.
Call A Professional Exterminator
If you’re not a DIY person, then getting rid of a Pharaoh ant Infestation yourself would not interest you. That being the case, you will need to hire the services of a professional pest control service.
After accessing the area and level of infestation, they will inform you of the steps they need to take to eliminate the ants.
This is the more expensive option, but you’ll be sure of getting satisfactory results afterward.
How To Get Rid Of Pharaoh Ants In Your Yard
Removing the ants from your home is one thing, getting them off your yard is another. The best way to do this is by destroying the colonies using bait.
Workers go far and wide in search of food to take back to their nests, you can take advantage of this knowledge and poison them. All you will need is bait.
Before you poison the bait, make sure your yard and home are free of all other leftovers. This will make the poisoned bait their only viable option.
Keep in mind though, you are to use slow-acting poison, and not the ones they will kill them immediately. There are many types of slow-acting poisons, some take as long as 3 days to take effect, while others take about 24 hours.
The longer it takes the better, as this will give the infected worker ants the much needed time to spread the poison all through their colony.
Find trails of Pharaoh ant movements and place the poisoned bait there.
When they come across it, they will eat some and carry some back to their nest. When they return, the poison begins to spread all through the colony as other members eat and make contact with the infected workers.
Use Ant Repellents
After the Pharaoh ants have been eliminated, you should prevent the return of others by applying ant repellents around your yard.
There are many brands available in the market to choose from.
Conclusion
Pharaoh ants are very small insects, which makes it easy for them to make their way into your home. Follow the tips above to get rid of them.
I hope this article on how to get rid of Pharaoh Ants has been helpful.
Good luck!