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.

Pharaoh ants and its impact on the economy

Pharaoh ants Damage

The Pharaoh ant is a major indoor pest in the United States and alot of world parts. The ant has the ability to survive most conventional household pest control treatments and to establish colonies throughout a building. More than just the food it consumes or spoils, this ant is considered a serious pest simply due to its ability for "getting into things." Pharaoh ants are reported to have even penetrated the security of recombinant DNA laboratories.

In some areas, The Pharaoh Ants has become a major pest of residences, commercial bakeries, factories, office buildings, apartments, and hospitals or other areas where food is handled. Infestations in hospitals have become a chronic problem in Europe and the United States. In Texas, reported an extensive infestation throughout a seven-floor medical center. In ant- infested hospitals, burn victims and newborns are subjected to increased risk because the Pharaoh ant can transmit over a dozen pathogenic pathogens such as Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus spp., and Streptococcus spp.

This ant infests almost all areas of a building where food is available and infests many areas where food is not commonly found. Pharaoh ants have a wide preference in the types of food consumed. In infested areas, if sweet, fatty, or oily foods are left uncovered for only a short period of time, one can likely find a trail of Pharaoh ants to the food. As a consequence, they cause much food to be discarded due to contamination. Owners have been known to consider selling their homes because of the ravages of this pest.

Pharaoh ants Damage

In the scientific study, Reported that the ants will not only become extinct by the end of the world. The scientists counted the ants most successful system of life in the world. Some said that the system and accuracy than the human.

Description of the pharaoh ants

Description of Pharaoh Ant

The workers of Monomorium pharaonis (pharaoh ants) (L.) while monomorphic (same size), do vary slightly in length and are approximately 1.5 to 2 mm long. The antennae have 12 segments with each segment of the 3-segmented antennal clubs increasing in size toward the apex of the club. pharaoh ant eye is comparatively small, with approximately six to eight ommatidia across the greatest diameter. Eyes are poor and possess on average 32 ommatidia. The antennal segments end in a distinct club with three progressively longer segments. The prothorax has subangular shoulders, and the thorax has a well- defined mesoepinotal impression. pharaoh ants have erect hairs are sparse on the body, and body pubescence is sparse and closely appresssed. The head, thorax, petiole and postpetiole (the petiole, or the petiole and postpetiole, in ants is also called the pedicel) are densely (but weakly) punctulate, dull, or subopaque. The clypeus, gaster, and mandibles are shiny. pharaoh ant body color ranges from yellowish or light brown to red, with the abdomen often darker to blackish. A stinger is present but is rarely exserted.

Pharaoh ants being extremely small can be found in a diversity of places appearing suddenly. They have a wide range of foraging and their nest are usually well hidden. They are very persistent, with large colonies.
Workers of the Pharaoh ant can often be observed on their feeding trails, often using wiring or hot water pipes to travel through walls and between floors. Once a worker has located a food source, it lays a chemical trail from the food to the nest . Pharaoh ants are attracted to sweet and fatty foods, which may be used to determine their presence. Pharaoh ants will nest in the oddest places, such as between sheets of stationary, layers of bed linen and clothes, in appliances, or even piles of trash .
Pharaoh ants may be confused with thief ants, bigheaded ants, firs ants and several other species of small pale ants. However, thief ants have just 10 segments in their antennae with only a 2-segmented club. Bigheaded and fire ants have a pair of spines on the thorax, while other small pale ants have only a one segment on the pedical .

About Pharaoh Ant

Pharaoh Ant

Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae  and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants.
The ant, Monomorium pharaonis (Latin Name), is commonly known as the Pharaoh ants. The name possibly arises from the mistaken tradition that it was one of the epidemics of ancient Egypt (Peacock et al. 1950). Pharaoh ants is distributed all over the world. Pharaoh ant  is one of the more common household ants, pharaoh ants is the most difficult household ant to control.In some of the older literature this kind was commonly referred to as the "Pharaoh's ant." This is now incorrect, if it ever was, as the correct common name is "Pharaoh ant" as determined by the Committee on Common Names of Insects of the Entomological Society of America (Bosik 1997). It is only mentioned pharaoh ants as the junior author still sees "Pharaoh's ant" on the Web and in industry publications.

Why was pharaoh ant called by that name ?
For reasons of architectural engineering in the construction of their homes because they follow the way pharaohs. In pharaoh Ants homes find  basements, tunnels and chambers, as it is the best kinds of ants in maintaining and keeping to their diet for many years and that is one of the methods of the pharaohs in life, housing and that is other information about the pharaoh Ants
Appearance:
Very small; Light yellow to red, with black markings on abdomen. Pharaoh ants are small, yellow ants about 1/16-inch long. Thorax uneven in shape when viewed from side with no spines
Habit:
Relies on artificial heating in buildings to survive. Infestations commonly occur in food service areas. Will nest in any well-protected and hidden areas throughout a structure. Can also nest outdoors in lawns or gardens.

Pharaoh ants found in homes, offices, hospitals, and have the ability to transfer pathogens such as Salmonella and other hospitals in their living and a machine stinging not bites, but pharaoh ant secrete pheromone tracing in addition to the secretion of repellent materials produced from abdominal gland are toxic. rubber goods.
Because of their very small size, Pharaoh ants are often considered a minor pest but if they are ignored they can multiply rapidly and become a serious risk to health. They are one of the most difficult pests to eliminate in structures requiring the training and experience of a professional.  Pesticide sprays will only worsen the problem

Scientific classification of pharaoh ant

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum : Arthropoda

Class  : Insecta

Order  : Hymenoptera

Family : Formicidae

Subfamily:Myrmicinae

Tribe  : Solenopsidini

Genus  : Monomorium

Species: M. pharaonis

Binomial name:Monomorium pharaonis

Synonyms:Formica pharaoni