These ants which are yellow or light brown in colour are believed to play a huge part in one of the Ten Plagues in Egyptian mythology. You have probably seen this type of ant crawling about tons of times but simply aren’t sure of its name. They are 2 mm in length which is extremely small and are present in Southeast Asia. They also populate temperate regions as long as the central heating in buildings is provided.
They feed on a wide variety of foods, mainly those that are sweet such as honey, fruit juices, shoe polish, soft drinks, peanut butter and toothpaste just to name a few. Silk, rubber and rayon goods are also gnawed by pharaoh ants. They will also consume other insects.
Possessing a high ability of surviving indoors, they cause havoc in commercial buildings, hospitals to be in particular. As they are pretty tiny, they can easily crawl into sterile rooms and contaminate the equipment and fluids used for patients. Wounds are effortlessly accessed by these pesky ants and such is infectious to patients in hospitals.
Furthermore, they reproduce through a process called budding whereby a small group of the main colony which including a few queens breaks off and reproduces in an alternative nest site. This results in pharaoh ants being able to easily populate an entire building with ease and they are tough to eliminate.
These ants infest cabinet voids, under floors, light fixtures, refrigerator insulation, wall voids, bathrooms, hot water pipes and tons of other dark, warm areas. If disturbed, they will secrete a toxic substance which creates unwanted problems. Seeking professional help is the best option in controlling pharaoh ants.
References : http://www.orkin.com/ants/pharaoh-ant/