For many commercial and residential spaces, pharaoh ants are familiar annoyances. These pests infest your pantry, spreading diseases around your food and soiling otherwise clean areas.
You may wonder if pharaoh ants bite whenever they appear in large numbers. No one wants to have painful welts while they battle a pest infestation!
We’ll give you all the details about pharaoh ants and how you can keep your home safe from these annoying pests.
Where are Pharaoh Ants Common?
You can usually spot ants building large mounds outside your home. Ant colonies regularly craft large dirt piles throughout backyards across the country.
However, ants aren’t solely outdoor pests! Many ants head inside to wreak havoc in your home. Carpenter ants chew away at your wooden foundation while odorous house ants invade your pantry for a sweet treat.
Unlike other ant species, you typically won’t find pharaoh ants populating outdoor areas. Pharaoh ants are spread over almost every continent and bed down within thousands of households around the world.
Unless they live in tropical or humid climates, pharaoh ants only infest residential and commercial areas. According to the University of Florida’s entomology department, pharaoh ants flock toward temperature-controlled buildings, especially during the winter.
Common infestation areas include:
- Hotels
- Homes
- Offices
- Hospitals
- Restaurants
- Grocery stores
- Apartment complexes
Indoor Pharaoh Ant Colonies
Because pharaoh ants are primarily indoor pests, they will assemble intricate colonies inside your home or commercial business.
Instead of stationing themselves at one central location, pharaoh ants create multiple satellite colonies. These colonies may have one queen or multiple ruling over the smaller nests, according to Texas A&M’s entomology program.
Because these ants live together peacefully, their populations can grow without notice. Pharaoh ant queens can produce around 30 eggs a day, and numerous queens can create large numbers of ants living inside.
Pharaoh ants prefer to build their nests in hard-to-reach areas like cockroaches. Rather than take up space on the ground, pharaoh ants situate their homes inside baseboards, wall voids, pantries, or flooring.
Do Pharaoh Ants Bite?
Pharaoh ants can quickly populate your home or business. If you see handfuls of these pests indoors, it’s easy to be worried about a pharaoh ant’s bite. However, are they really a cause for concern?
Pharaoh ants bite, but they typically won’t bother you unless your home has a considerable infestation. Some ant species are known for their painful bites and stings, but a pharaoh ant’s bite shouldn’t cause you significant discomfort.
Other ant species have large pinchers to defend themselves against attackers or stores of venom used to incapacitate their prey. Pharaoh ants have small mandibles, so their bite won’t leave you in significant pain.
Regardless, pharaoh ants aren’t hygienic insects, often spreading diseases wherever they forage. While a pharaoh ant’s bite won’t transmit diseases, you should remain cautious because they tend to make others sick.
Do Pharaoh Ants Bite Pets?
Unfortunately, your furry friends may have to deal with painful bug bites too. Pharaoh ants bite dogs and cats, but ant-related injuries aren’t as common as flea and tick bites.
Because dogs are frequently outdoors to play or go for walks, they typically struggle with ant bites more than cats. Ant bites on dogs mimic their presentation on a person’s skin. If an ant bites or stings your dog, you may see swollen red bumps appear under their coat, on their stomachs, or around their paws.
Pharaoh ants bite your precious pooches and cats, but you shouldn’t worry about these pests causing significant injury. Because pharaoh ants generally avoid biting humans, they shouldn’t harm your pets unless they sniff around an active nest. If your pet is injured, monitor their symptoms and contact their vet!
Are Pharaoh Ants Dangerous?
Pharaoh ants may seem like insignificant aggravations, but these pests are dangerous houseguests.
Like flies, pharaoh ants can spread diseases as they forage through food and surfaces in your kitchen and bathroom. Take a look at this pharaoh ant-infested kitchen!
Here are some common illnesses that pharaoh ants carry:
- Salmonella
- Staphylococcus
- Streptococcus
For the average homeowner, these pathogens are causes for concern, but pharaoh ants can cause significant harm in healthcare institutions like hospitals, hospice centers, or long-term care facilities.
Patients with compromised immune systems are at risk whenever pharaoh ants invade healthcare properties. According to Ohio State University, pharaoh ants have infested healing incisions, IVs and other medical solutions, and sterile medical wound coverings.
Pharaoh ants can negatively impact recovering patients by spreading diseases into their wounds. These pests can even ruin sterilized medical equipment, potentially contaminating important tools.
Caring for a Pharaoh Ant’s Bite
Because these pests can make you ill, it’s wise to care for a pharaoh ant’s bite. Clean the bitten area with soap and warm water. After thoroughly drying your skin, you can apply an antibacterial cream to promote proper healing.
Avoid scratching the bites. While cleaning your wounds will remove any potential bacteria or pathogens from entering your skin, the bites could still become inflamed or infected if you frequently irritate your skin.
Because pharaoh ants bite in defense, you shouldn’t worry about these pests if you spot them around your home or business. Avoid disturbing their colony and call a trusted pest control company like proof. Pest Control to remove these problem pests and keep you safe!
Removing Contaminated Food
While it’s difficult to throw out expensive groceries, never keep food spoiled by pharaoh ants. These pests can spread bacteria that may cause food poisoning and make you extremely ill.
Pharaoh ants even carry bacteria that can cause strep throat, a painful and highly contagious illness. While healthy individuals can quickly overcome the bug, immunocompromised adults, children, and the elderly will have a harder time handling the sickness.
To avoid the risk of an illness, toss out any food that pharaoh ants may have infested. You’ll stay safe from bacteria and even discourage these pests from returning for another quick snack!
Eliminate Pharaoh Ants Indoors
To keep your home or business safe, you should always try to eliminate growing pharaoh ant populations indoors. For healthcare institutions, pharaoh ants can seriously compromise a patient’s safety, so swift removal is a must!
Keeping kitchen and bathroom areas tidy is one of the easiest ways to cull burgeoning pharaoh ant populations. Pharaoh ants generally can’t survive outdoors, and inhospitable indoor environments can keep them at bay.
After cooking, thoroughly clean up any greasy messes or crumbs. Also, never leave food uncovered on your counters, as the ants may quickly climb into your leftovers to grab their meal!
Like other insects, pharaoh ants will routinely flock to easy water sources like leaky drains and sinks, bathtubs, water-damaged areas, or even IV solutions. Besides repairing damages and broken appliances, store liquids in tightly sealed containers to prevent pharaoh ants from climbing inside.
But, what should you do whenever pharaoh ants still find a way inside and infest your precious items? Call proof.!
Here at proof. pest control, we offer commercial and residential pest control services, and we can eliminate a stubborn pest infestation in any location! Our technicians can safely remove stubborn infestations anywhere- from commercial businesses to your home!
Instead of struggling with difficult pests, contact us today!