Pharaoh Ant

Natural Habitat

Typically lives indoors in tropical regions or climate-controlled buildings in temperate zones, nesting in wall voids, under floorboards, or behind baseboards.

Diet & Feeding

Omnivorous; they consume a wide variety of foods including sweets (syrups, jellies), proteins (meat, dead insects), and fats (grease).

Behavior Patterns

Nests contain multiple queens and reproduce through a process called budding, where part of the colony migrates to a new location. They are highly persistent and can travel long distances along wires or pipes.

Risks & Benefits

They are major indoor pests, particularly in hospitals where they can spread pathogens like Salmonella and Streptococcus. They are difficult to eliminate because using spray insecticides often causes the colony to split (bud) into multiple new colonies.

Identified on: 4/22/2026