Pharaoh ant infestation in your home?
Do you have pharaoh ants in your home or business? Don’t wait for the infestation to spread and several nests to form in your walls and floors. Have a pharaoh ant extermination carried out quickly by professionals!
Since pharaoh ants can form several large colonies, foraging workers will quickly become a nuisance as they move around your home or business in search of food.
The biology of pharaoh ants
- Reproduction: The queen lays between 400 and 500 eggs in her lifetime
- Longevity of the queen: between 4 and 12 months
- Worker life: about 10 weeks
- Colour: Pharaoh ants are reddish for females, black for males, and reddish-brown queens
- Population for an anthill: can reach 10,000 pharaoh ants
- Length: Females are between 1.5 to 2 mm long, males are about 3 mm long, while queens can grow up to 5 mm long
Recognizing the Pharaoh Ant Problem
- Presence of tiny reddish ants walking around your home
- Pharaoh ant sightings in your kitchen cabinets and in food
- Presence of a mound of earth on the outside
How can we put an end to pharaoh ants for good?
- Don’t leave food easily accessible
- Avoid direct contact with your home from tree branches, plants, grass, vines, etc.
- Caulking your doors and windows
- Do not leave wood in a state of decay near your home
- Call an exterminator at the first signs to avoid an infestation
Intervention territories for pharaoh ants
The pharaoh ant Monomorium pharaonis is one of the most difficult to eradicate because the chemical disturbance causes the colony to burst. In Longueuil, care centres, condominiums and CHSLDs in Vieux-Longueuil are concentrating cases. In Brossard, condominiums in sectors P and O require a strict non-repellent bait protocol. Our service on the South Shore requires an extended follow-up of 8 to 12 weeks depending on the extent. In Boucherville and the Pierre-Boucher sector, condominiums near the A20 and seniors’ residences regularly request our expertise. Further east, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and the Richelieu Valley, the multi-unit dwellings in the Iberville district and the residences on Seminary Avenue are the areas treated. In Saint-Hyacinthe and the Maskoutan suburbs, regional health institutions and CHSLDs account for the bulk of annual contracts.
Did you know?
Pharaoh ants are one of the only species that is uni-colonial, in other words, workers can move from one colony to another, which can therefore create “super colonies”. There can be several queens in the same colony, we can talk about more than 100 here, which makes them very invasive!
A queen can lay 400 to 500 eggs during her lifetime, which rarely lasts more than a year. The colony can split to survive, which is their greatest feature.
Methods used for pharaoh ant extermination
To get rid of pharaoh ants in the long term, you need to eliminate the queen, which is the breeder of the mother colony and other satellite colonies that are in your home. Many baits can be placed on the floors of the house that the ants will bring back to others as well as to the queen. An insecticide can also be applied to at-risk surfaces.
Nova Extermination’s specialized technicians will solve your problem quickly and sustainably. We offer this pharaoh ant extermination service at an affordable price in all cities on the South Shore of Montreal. We master the techniques to carry out pharaoh ant extermination, and we use insecticides approved by the Ministry of the Environment to solve the problem.
TO PREVENT ANOTHER INFESTATION
Once our pharaoh ant extermination is done, we must then caulk the entry points through which the ants could return: holes and cracks around doors, windows and floors; foundation cracks; telephone cables, etc.). Nova extermination technicians can, if desired, carry out this caulking for you.
Our company has a license in good standing from the Régie du Bâtiment du Québec (RBQ: 5734-75930-01) as well as from the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) to carry out the necessary caulking work. We are also protected by comprehensive liability insurance to carry out this work.
Information about the pharaoh ant
Learning more about the pharaoh ants is not too much. Since they are an extremely invasive type of ant, it is essential to learn about their lifestyle and how they manage to multiply so quickly.
Here is some adjacent information that will help you better recognize them:
Pharaoh ants are very special, so it is essential to call an exterminator at the first signs.
Contact us for more information
If you wish to have the pharaoh ants exterminated in your home, apartment building, business or professional building on the South Shore, contact our experienced team. Nova Extermination is an exterminator who holds all the necessary permits to carry out the extermination of pharaoh ants. Our pharaoh ant extermination techniques comply with the regulations of the Ministry of the Environment.
You can contact us by email or by phone at 514-MON-NOVA for an ant extermination in a home or business. We cover all cities on the South Shore.
Frequently Asked Questions: Pharaoh Ants
How do I recognize a pharaoh ant infestation in my home on the South Shore?
The pharaoh ant is tiny (about 2 mm), yellow-brown in color, and moves in long tracks along baseboards, electrical outlets and water points (kitchen, bathroom). Unlike other species, it often nests inside walls, near sources of heat and humidity, making it difficult to locate. If you see thin lines of workers in Longueuil or Brossard, it is often a well-established colony.
Why is it not recommended to use aerosol insecticides against pharaoh ants?
Pharaoh ants have several queens per colony and react to repellent products by budding: the colony splits and disperses into several nests, aggravating the infestation. An aerosol sold in a store often only moves the problem to other rooms. Nova uses approved slow-acting baits that workers bring back to the nest to reach the queens and brood.
Are pharaoh ants a health risk?
Yes, this species is of particular concern in sensitive environments: it can carry bacteria such as salmonella and staphylococcus. In a home, it contaminates food and kitchen surfaces, and is known to leach into sterile dressings and packaging. This is why rigorous control is important, especially in homes with young children or vulnerable people.
How does an intervention against pharaoh ants work?
Our technician first conducts an inspection to identify leads and hotspots of activity, then applies a targeted bait program rather than a general spray. Since the colony may have several queens, a follow-up over a few weeks is usually necessary to gradually eliminate all the nests. We adapt the plan to your Montérégie residence according to the size observed.
How much does a pharaoh ant treatment cost?
The price is based on an assessment, depending on the extent of the situation, the area affected and the number of follow-up visits required. Each infestation is unique, so a technician will assess your case before proposing an intervention plan. All our services are paid for and the price is communicated to you in a transparent way before the work.
Do you offer a guarantee on the elimination of pharaoh ants?
We aim for long-lasting results evaluated on a case-by-case basis rather than an absolute guarantee, as this multi-queen species often requires multiple bait applications. We use licensed products and a follow-up protocol that maximizes the chances of eliminating the entire colony. Our technician will clearly explain the realistic expectations for your situation.