Pharaoh ants Nesting Habits and Biology

Pharaoh ants Colony

Mating takes place in the nest, and no swarms are known to occur. Males and queens usually take 42 days to develop from egg to adult. The males are the same size as the workers (2 mm), are black in color and have straight, not elbowed, antennae. Males are not often found in the colony. The queens are about 4 mm long and are slightly darker than the workers. Queens can produce 400 or more eggs in batches of 10 to 12. Queens can live four to 12 months, while males die within three to five weeks after mating.


Pharaoh ants are small, yellow ants.  Their thorax is typically darker, helping to locate the ant. They are present in almost every area in the world and are considered to be a major pest due to their ability to survive in indoor areas. Hospitals frequently require control for pharaoh ants, as they can quickly spread disease and contaminate sterile equipment and rooms.

Pharaoh Ant

Unlike some other ant species, pharaoh ants have multiple queens and are able to move their colonies from place to place when disturbed. Workers can grow from eggs to adults in as little as 38 days and may live for nine to 10 weeks. Queen pharaoh ants can live for four to twelve months, but male pharaoh ants die within three to five weeks of mating. Pharaoh ants begin new colonies by budding out. This means that a small group - a minimum of five workers, ten preadults and a single queen - migrate from their colony to start a new colony..

The Pharaoh ant colony consists of queens, males, workers, and immature stages (eggs, larvae, pre- pupae, and pupae). Nesting occurs in inaccessible warm (80 to 86°F), humid (80%) areas near sources of food and/or water, such as in wall voids. The size of the colony tends to be large but can vary from a few dozen to several thousand or even several hundred thousand individuals. Approximately 38 days are required for development of workers from egg to adult.

Pharaoh ants

Part of the success and persistence of this ant undoubtably relates to the budding or splitting habits of the colonies. Numerous daughter colonies are produced from the mother colony when a queen and a few workers break off and establish a new colony. Even in the absence of a queen, workers can develop a queen from the brood which is transported from the mother country. In large colonies there may be as many as several hundred reproductive females.

Inside pharaoh ants are usually found in the kitchen and bathrooms,
but workers are seen trailing along window sills, and baseboards.
Pharaoh ants can also be spotted near sources of water in the kitchen and bathrooms, counter tops, toilets, drains and sinks.Pharaoh ants prefer to nest in recessed areas like wall voids, under some appliances,  wall outlets or under carpet for protection. Pharaoh ants can nest outdoors in lawns and gardens.