Characteristics
Size: Very small, about 1/8-inch in length and may easily be confused with several other types of pest ants.
Color: Yellow.
Viewed under magnification, the antennae of the pharaoh ant have 10 total segments and end in a three-segmented antennal club.
Behavior
This pest ant can be very difficult to control and eliminate. When foraging worker ants are killed by residual treatments, the colony will fracture or split into two or more colonies to ensure part of the colony survives. If such treatments are continued, the infestation is spread throughout the building. Pharaoh ants typically establish themselves in areas near moisture, such as the kitchen or bathroom. They travel from room to room within the walls via plumbing pipes and electrical wires.
Habitat
Pharaoh ants will nest in virtually any site that provides protection. Colonies have been found nesting in walls, furniture and appliances, but they have also been discovered in unique locations such as between the folds of sheets in closets, hollow curtain rods, inside irons, in small boxes and under roofing shingles. They are extremely opportunistic in their selection of nesting sites.
Tips for Control
Pharaoh ants can only be controlled by effective placement of ant baits. The type of bait that is ultimately successful is one on which the colony or colonies involved will feed for an extended period of time. The foraging workers return the bait to the colony, feeding it to other workers, larvae and queens.