Pharaoh Ants In Nashville Can Be Tricky To Deal With

Where Do Pharaoh Ants Get Their Name?

Pharaoh ants get their name from the idea that they may have been one of the biblical plagues in Ancient Egypt. Pharaoh ants are originally from Africa, but they’ve since migrated to North America and, more specifically, the United States.

Another reason for their name is their odd coloring – unlike many ants, pharaoh ants have pale yellow coloring. This is also one of their most distinguishable features and makes them one of the easiest ants to identify on sight. You may sometimes hear people refer to pharaoh ants as sugar ants, but this nickname is also shared with Argentine ants.

What do pharaoh ants look like? Pharaoh ants are a type of ant that can grow up to 1/16” in length and are usually easy to identify by their yellow to orange coloring. From the side, their thoraxes look uneven, and they have 12-segmented antennae.

These pests have a reputation for taking advantage of indoor heating during the winter and will infest just about any type of building or home. One of the key behaviors that separate pharaoh ants from other types of ants is the way that they nest. Rather than build a single colony, pharaoh ants mate in their own nest and then split the colony and create a new nest. Each budding colony will have its own queen, and these pests can live peacefully in the same building or house without any hostility.

Unlike a lot of ants, pharaoh ants are not picky about where they nest either. While they may prefer to build their nests in structural areas, they can also start colonies inside books, linen sheets, and other items that aren’t part of your property’s structure. Because of the way they nest, dealing with pharaoh ants can be tricky since it’s difficult to tell just how many nests there may be with a pharaoh ant infestation.

How To Tell If Pharaoh Ants Are On Your Property

The most common way to tell if you have pharaoh ants on your Nashville property is by identifying the actual ants. Unlike some pests, pharaoh ants don’t do much hiding, especially when they’re scavenging for food. If you have pharaoh ants in your home or on your property, you’re bound to see amber-colored ants crawling across your kitchen counters, tables, or your walls at some point.

What Attracts Pharaoh Ants?

What attracts pharaoh ants, and what do pharaoh ants eat? Pharaoh ants are not picky about their diets and can survive on most edible food materials. Not only do they have a sweet tooth for sugary beverages and foods, but they also enjoy protein-rich foods like egg yolks and meats.

In addition to traditional food items, pharaoh ants can also consume other things like shoe polish, sponges, and even dead insects. Their diverse diet is another reason why pharaoh ants can be difficult to repel. Even if you don’t leave food out around your home, these critters may still sustain themselves on grease, crumbs, or even other dead insects they find.

While food is a major factor in attracting pharaoh ants, it is not the only one. They will also frequently infest homes with excess moisture sources and enough heating to sustain them through the winter.

How To Keep Pharaoh Ants Away From Your Yard

Because of how dangerous pharaoh ants can be in any building, these infestations shouldn’t be left untreated or handled without care. Not only are pharaoh ants dangerous, but because of how they nest, the best way to deal with them is by using pharaoh ant extermination near you at All-American Pest Control. With effective residential pest control treatments and excellent customer service that goes back decades, our service team members have been serving Nashville and surrounding areas for more than eighty years.

If you suspect that your property or home has a pharaoh ant infestation, don’t put yourself or those around you at risk for contamination. Contact us today at All-American Pest Control to learn more about how our ant control services can help you or schedule an inspection. 

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