Risks related to the presence of pharaoh ants in your home
Pharaoh ants are an invasive species representing a genuine health risk to a home’s occupants. Keep reading to learn why pharaoh ants love to intrude on our homes and what methods you can use to exterminate them.
Why are pharaoh ants invading my home?
During the cold season, pharaoh ants seek heat and nourishment, including sugary foods, dead insects, meat, cheese, fruit and rotting produce. In short, a great number of the things found in your pantry are appealing to this type of ant. That’s why they like to come inside our homes, where they tend to hang around near drains, pipes and electrical cables.
Pharaoh ants look for moisture
Warm, moist (and moldy) places are the favored spots of this ant species. That’s why we often find them in greenhouses, restaurants, hospitals, assisted living facilities, apartment buildings and other residences.
Where to find their nests
Pharaoh ants build their nests behind baseboards, refrigerators and other appliances, as well as inside books, sheets of paper, dressers, clothing and bedding. They typically target hard-to-reach areas.
What are the dangers of pharaoh ants inside the home?
Resistance to extermination
Pharaoh ants are very difficult to eliminate. These invasive ants generally avoid ant baits and chemical products. Their colonies can include up to 2,500 worker ants, as well as several queens, which reproduce quickly, generating new colonies nearby. They’re particularly adept at establishing new nests, spreading throughout homes and businesses in the blink of an eye.
The health risks of pharaoh ants
Pharaoh ants pose a threat to the health of those who share their living space. These ants are often carriers of diseases such as staphylococcus, salmonella and clostridium, a strain of bacteria that can lead to botulism (a form of paralysis caused by a neurotoxin).
Risks of property damage
Pharaoh ants inside a home can damage the structure of the building by constructing nests behind the walls, between the wooden supports and even in the insulation.
Do pharaoh ants bite?
Unlike fire ants, pharaoh ants don’t sting, despite the fact that the two species bear a very close resemblance. As they’ve evolved, their stingers have atrophied, making them much too weak to penetrate the skin. So at least you can rest assured that there’s no risk of a pharaoh ant biting you.
Pharaoh ants: the road to extermination
No matter how tempting it may be, it’s a bad idea to try eliminating these ants yourself. In fact, any attempt to eradicate them could make the situation worse by compelling them to multiply more rapidly.
Recognized for their ability to sense a threat, pharaoh ants will withstand any efforts you make to kill them with bug spray. When they go on high alert, they can subdivide their colony in no time! The best way to vanquish them is to set up ant baits in strategic locations. However, you’ll have to be patient, as the extermination process can drag out for months because of the complex structures these ants are capable of building.
The best option for getting rid of pharaoh ants for good is to contact a licensed exterminator.
Professional exterminators to the rescue
Are the pharaoh ants inside your home ruining your life? Let the extermination and pest control specialists at Central Extermination come to your aid with guaranteed, effective solutions. They’re pleased to offer their services throughout the Montreal, Laval and South Shore areas.
References :
RADIO-CANADA. Fourmis pharaons : l’enfer de locataires torontois. [Pharaoh ants: the scourge of Toronto renters]
ORKIN CANADA. Pharaoh ant.