General Information on Pharaoh Ant
Pharaoh ants normally build their nests in places that are very difficult to access, for example, in areas that are hot and humid, such as behind baseboards, tiles, or in furniture. They are typically nocturnal and attracted to food such as dead insects, meat, cheese and sweet substances such as syrup, fruits, frozen pies and cakes. Pharaoh ants can bite.
Over a lifetime, the pharaoh ant’s queen can lay up to 400 eggs. Ideally, a gestation period of 38 days is required for an egg to become an adult worker ant. The pharaoh ants are difficult to eliminate because they produce several "satellite" colonies associated with the mother colony. These massive colonies have many queens and hundreds of thousands of ants.
Preparing for Pharaoh ant treatment
- Do not use insecticide sprays in areas affected by ants before or after treatment. Also, do not clean with chemicals. These products can make the bait less effective.
- Because a general treatment of your home is a possibility, clean the home thoroughly, including inside cabinets and drawers.
- Plan that the M MTL specialist or exterminator may place bait stations in the home. The bait stations should not be moved.
