No one wants to deal with an ant infestation. Although these pests are small, they often wreak havoc on your home, and getting rid of a full-blown infestation can feel impossible without the help of a professional. It’s important to understand which ant species you are dealing with. In many cases, the ants inside your home are Pharoah ants, and these insects have a few distinct identifiers that make them harder to get rid of than other species. Knowing how to recognize Pharoah ants goes a long way when it comes to dealing with them and preventing them from overtaking your property. Here’s everything you need to know about Pharoah ants. 

What Do Pharoah Ants Look Like?

Pharoah ants are smaller than most other ant species, with adults only reaching about two millimetres in length. Queens are darker in colour than workers, who usually have red or light brown abdomens. Some workers have bodies so light in colour that they look yellow.

How Can You Prevent Pharoah Ants From Entering Your Home?

Because Pharoah ants are so tiny, they can enter your home through the smallest cracks in the exterior. It’s hard to seal up your home well enough to keep Pharoah ants out. Working with a reputable pest control company and spraying chemicals around your home is the best way to deter ants, but making your house a less hospitable environment is a good way to keep Pharoah ants from building nests. Make sure your food is stored properly in airtight containers instead of leaving it in open boxes. Clean up any crumbs or spills immediately, and never leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight.

Are Pharoah Ants Dangerous?

While the bite of a Pharoah ant is no worse than those from other species, they are dangerous. They are notorious for spreading diseases such as Streptococcus and salmonella. Because they tend to build nests in indoor environments, they often invade homes, restaurants and hospitals, and spreading disease in any of these spaces is easy and harmful.

Pharoah ants don’t damage property like carpenter ants, but they are likely to destroy your food supply. These pests are not picky eaters and will feast on any type of food that is readily available. If you don’t clean up crumbs in your kitchen or store open food in airtight containers, Pharaoh ants have an easy source of food and will keep returning to the area to find food they can bring back to their nests.

How Can Truly Nolen Help Get Rid of Pharoah Ants?

While other ants often create multiple colonies, Pharoah ants have a unique ability to ‘bud’ and create new colonies any time they sense danger. If they recognize an attempt to eliminate the colony, a small group of worker ants will take a young queen and break away from the main colony to create a new one in another spot in the building. This trait makes Pharoah ants notoriously hard to get rid of without home pest control.

Thankfully, Truly Nolen in Richmond Hill has a team of expert technicians who know how to effectively get rid of Pharoah ants. We work quickly to reduce the risk of budding, and we thoroughly examine your home to ensure there are no remaining nests.

Schedule an Appointment for Pest Control Today

In addition to providing carpenter ant pest control in Richmond Hill, Truly Nolen also helps get rid of infestations of Pharaoh ants. We are experts in residential pest control and know what it takes to eliminate all types of ants and other pests from your home. Contact us today to schedule an appointment to get rid of an ant infestation.