PHARAOH ANTS:

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Ant Control Products On Line     PHARAOH ANTS - APPEARANCE: Very small; Light yellow to red, with black markings on abdomen. PHARAOH ANTS - REPRODUCTION: Pharaoh ants grow from egg to adult in about 45 days; females live as long as 39 weeks and can lay about 400 eggs; workers only live up to 10 weeks. 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. PHARAOH ANTS - ANT TRAILS: An excellent article(click on the PDF button-the top right corner of the document)by Univ. of Florida Extension Service can be found at Ant Trails:Baiting.. It gives an overview of management with ant baits. PHARAOH ANTS - WHY ANT BAIT? The use of residual sprays or dusts will cause stress on the colonies, causing them to split into sub-colonies that scatter to other areas in the structure. This is also called budding. After spraying, your problem can be worse than at the beginning. When you ant bait, you will want a slow acting bait. Quick kill insecticides and baits will only kill the foraging ants, not allowing the foraging ants to take the bait back home to feed the queen, nest workers and brood. If the current ant bait that you are using is not acceptable to the ants, if they are not visiting the bait, it is recommended that you change the baits. Pharaoh house ants require carbohydrates - sugars, proteins and greases. They find a variety of these sources in nature. Examples are: other insects(proteins and greases), nectar, aphid honeydew , plant products(sugar and carbohydrates) Choosing a bait would require knowing what they are currently feeding off of, according to the nutritional needs of the colony. To be sure that you have all the baiting needs met, you may want to be ready with a sugar-carbohydrate bait, a grease-fat bait, and a protein based bait. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REMOVE ANY OTHER FOOD COMPETITION WHEN BAITING AND LEAVE THE BAIT ALONE ONCE THE ANTS START FEEDING ON IT. HABITS: Inside pharaoh ants are usually found in the kitchen and bathrooms , but workers are seen trailing along window sills, and baseboards. They 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 appliance, wall outlets, under carpet for protection. Can nest outdoors in lawns and gardens. Ant Control Products On Line PHARAOH ANTS - PRECOMMENDED PRODUCTS AND TREATMENT : Ant baiting would be the preferred treatment over typical residual spraying, so you can eliminate the entire colony. The recommended products would be: MAXFORCE ANT BAIT STATIONS or MAXFORCE ANT GRANULARS   And for the sugar based baits: 1.  MAXFORCE ANT KILLER BAIT GEL 2.   REVENGE LIQUID ANT BAIT   MAXFORCE GRANULAR ANT BAIT is an excellent choice for the outside , feeding all their dietary needs.   Ant bait stations such as : ANT CAFESS small or large plastic cubes (that snap shut )that keep the gel or dry granulated bait inside. Perimeter treatment with a good residual sprays such as: SUSPEND or DEMON WP can at times prevent pharaoh ants from entering the structures.