Orkin Exterminator & Termite Control

Pharaoh Ant Pheromone

Pharaoh ants can become a major problem, especially when infesting buildings such as hospitals, restaurants, grocery stores, or apartment buildings. Many people refer to these ants as "sugar ants". When disturbed with chemical insecticides, the colony will scatter and create many new colonies. .

Pharaoh ants like most ant species, communicating through pheromones.  Pharaoh ants use a recruitment pheromone for attraction to new food or nesting sites.  They use pheromone signals to identify members of the colony and specific castes. There are pheromones that aid in the reproduction process. There are alarm pheromones and many others.  Pheromones play an important role in the communication process of pharaoh ant workers. The workers touch each other with their antennae and "smell" the pheromone messages on the other ant's body. The most commonly used pheromones are trail pheromone, which are created when workers touch the large posterior section of their gasters, to the ground. Other workers follow the trail, leading large numbers of ants to various food sources. You can demonstrate this if you rub your finger across an ant trail. Your action will erase the trail pheromone.  The ants will be disoriented until they re-establish the pheromone.

Pharaoh Ants

Natural Pharaoh Ant Repellent