Pharaoh Ant

Commonly found indoors in kitchens, bathrooms, and behind baseboards; prefers warm, humid areas with proximity to water.

Omnivorous; they scavenge for sweets, proteins, oils, and other dead insects.

They are highly social insects that form large colonies with multiple queens. They are known for 'budding,' where a group of workers and queens split from the original colony to start a new one, often in response to chemical stress.

Risks: They are persistent household pests and can contaminate food sources. In hospitals, they can spread pathogens like Streptococcus and Salmonella. Benefits: They serve as scavengers in the ecosystem, cleaning up organic waste.