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Quick answer: Pharaoh ants are tiny yellow-to-amber ants that nest indoors in wall voids and warm, humid areas, form colonies with many queens, and are notorious in hospitals and apartments. The one rule that matters: never spray them. Repellent sprays make pharaoh ant colonies split (bud) into many new colonies. Getting rid of them requires patient, colony-wide baiting.
What do pharaoh ants look like?
Pharaoh ants are among the smallest household ants — about 1/16 inch — and are pale yellow to amber, often with a darker rear. They have two nodes on the waist and move in persistent trails, frequently seen year-round in heated buildings.
Signs of pharaoh ants
Look for faint trails of tiny yellow ants along counters, baseboards, plumbing, and electrical lines, heading toward grease, sweets, and protein. In apartment buildings they may appear in kitchens and bathrooms across multiple units.
Why pharaoh ants are different
Pharaoh ant colonies have many queens and readily bud: when stressed by repellent insecticides, the colony fragments and scatters into new nests. This is why spraying makes them dramatically worse and why they are considered one of the hardest ants to control.
How to get rid of pharaoh ants
The only reliable method is baiting: place professional-grade ant baits along active trails and near suspected nests so foragers carry bait back to feed the queens and brood colony-wide. This requires patience and consistency over weeks, and in multi-unit buildings often coordination across neighboring apartments, since colonies span walls. Do not spray.
When to call a professional
Because of budding, multiple queens, and hidden indoor nesting, pharaoh ants almost always require professional baiting to control — especially in apartment buildings, where a building-wide approach may be needed.
A Brooklyn-based, NYSDEC-registered company (Reg. #15140) led by Jorge Bedoya, an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE). For ants, NYE provides colony-focused ant control matched to the species. ACE-led work comes with a client portal of service reports and photos, fully bilingual service, and no long-term contract.
Pharaoh Ant FAQ
How do I identify pharaoh ants?
Pharaoh ants are very small, about 1/16 inch, and pale yellow to amber, often with a darker abdomen. They trail indoors year-round, frequently toward grease, sweets, and protein, and are common in apartment buildings.
Why should I never spray pharaoh ants?
Repellent sprays cause pharaoh ant colonies to bud — the colony splits and scatters into multiple new nests — turning one problem into several. Baiting is the only reliable approach.
How do you get rid of pharaoh ants?
Use professional-grade ant baits placed along trails and near nests so workers carry the bait to the many queens colony-wide. This takes patience and consistency, and often coordination across neighboring units in a building.
Where do pharaoh ants nest?
Indoors in warm, humid, hidden spots: wall voids, behind baseboards, near plumbing and heating, and in wall or ceiling cavities. They rarely nest outdoors in colder climates.
Are pharaoh ants dangerous?
They can mechanically carry pathogens, which is why they are a serious concern in hospitals and food areas. In homes they mainly contaminate food and are very hard to eliminate.
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