The danger of pharaoh ants to humans - what risks do they pose? What are the main differences between red arthropods and other species. Lifestyle characteristics. Choosing effective methods for getting rid of pests.
Pharaoh ants are characterized by extremely small sizes. Working individuals reach a length of no more than one and a half to two millimeters. Males are larger in size - approximately 2.5 millimeters, the uterus is even larger (about 4 millimeters). Ants of this family are characterized by a light brown body color, the young individual is yellow. The uterus differs from other representatives in its dark color; most often, it is black in color. The abdomen of pharaonic or, as they are also called, red arthropods have a characteristic yellow stripe, thanks to which they can be distinguished from other species. In the photo you can see what a pharaoh ant looks like.
A sexually mature female is distinguished by the presence of wings - they are used to fly over short distances. The presence of such a behavioral feature allows pests to develop a new habitat, as well as create separate nests. If you notice red ants in your own apartment or house, you must immediately deal with them, as they multiply quickly and can cause harm to residents.
What danger do insects pose?
Have you encountered pests in your home? Then get ready for a lot of troubles they present. When searching for food, they travel throughout the entire apartment, thereby contaminating food and damaging furniture and clothing.
It should be noted that arthropods can even bite, but in most cases this happens for their own protection. The main feature of the parasites is the ability to walk at a distance of 35 meters, while easily returning back.
As the colony grows, small uninvited neighbors will begin to fill every corner of the home. Young queens will begin to fly around the perimeter of the apartment and frighten with their appearance. Lack of the required amount of food is not a problem; in this case, pharaoh ants will replace it with the hair of domestic animals. If it enters an animal's respiratory tract, there is a risk of suffocation and death. It should be noted that they can carry various infectious diseases.
The presented species of insects is heat-loving, which lives in almost every corner of the Earth. They can settle in any place where a person lives, which is why you need to carefully consider the features and methods of combating them.
Appearance and Features
It is not for nothing that the queen of the anthill occupies the highest place in the hierarchy of insects in her nest. After all, it is thanks to it that the ant population increases. Forest black and red ants have a single queen in the settlement. She does not take part in obtaining food and generally does not leave the anthill anywhere, focusing exclusively on the production of offspring. But in domestic red insects, ant queens can live several individuals in each colony, without conflicting with each other.
Ant queen
As can be seen in the photo of the uterus of house ants, in appearance it is very different from working individuals in its size and body structure: it is 2 times larger than them and can reach a length of 4-4.5 mm, its chest is much wider due to the presence of flight muscles, color The body is dark brown, with light red bandages visible on the back of the round abdomen.
Due to its size, the queen is very clumsy and less mobile compared to working ants; she practically does not leave the nest, regularly accepting food from others and replenishing the supply of eggs. Therefore, it is almost impossible to get it from the depths of the anthill.
Interesting!
Young females are initially born and grow up with small wings, like the queen ant in the photo, which has not yet had time to shed them. After the colony is founded, these parts either fall off on their own, or they are nibbled off and eaten, thus obtaining additional food.
Young unfertilized queens with wings
Way of existence
Pharaohs do not have the adaptability to normal existence outside a human home, since they love warmth.
Let's consider the main features of the life of parasites:
- The critical temperature for these arthropods is considered to be less than 15 degrees. In some cases, an adult individual, as well as eggs, can retain the ability to live if the temperature drops to +10 degrees,
- Since red ants cannot exist outside an apartment or house, they are characterized by having a peaceful disposition, they can get along with ants of other species, so they have practically no natural enemies,
- Unlike other species, red ants that live in the territory of an apartment/house remain active throughout the year, since they do not require hibernation,
- Not only food scraps, but also any organic waste and rotted vegetation act as a source of nutrition.
Who's in charge?
The formation of a new colony begins with the uterus. This is the queen of the colony. It does not perform any functions (harvesting, protection, construction), except one - to increase and maintain the number of the ant family. The uterus is formed from an ordinary female who was fertilized by a male, and she was able to organize her own “kingdom”. The queen is the only one with wings, which she will bite off herself after nursing her first litter.
The lifespan of a queen ant reaches two decades or more. As long as the queen is alive, the colony has every chance of rising from the ashes after any, even the most crushing, losses. Over the entire biological cycle, she lays half a million eggs.
Following the Queen Mother in status are the workers, the most numerous livestock of the colony. Then come the security troops. And males and females close the chain, among which, of course, there are individuals who, upon successful fertilization, will themselves become queens and form their own ant kingdom.
Features of the fight against pharaoh ants
Dealing with pharaonic ants is quite difficult, because even with the small size of the nest, in most cases it is located in the most inaccessible places in the room.
Eg:
- Under floor coverings
- Between the baseboards,
- Under furniture products,
- Inside the cracks.
Further, in the absence of measures aimed at combating parasites, the colony begins to resettle and organize new nests. The movement of individuals is carried out through territory that is hidden from human eyes. Note that the clans are always in touch and do not quarrel with each other. It is also worth mentioning that the colony is omnivorous - they can consume not only plant and animal products, but also rotting remains.
Modern apartments have all the necessary conditions for a comfortable life for the pharaohs. In case of untimely detection of the settlement of arthropods, their active reproduction begins, the construction of new nests, since they are warm and have access to a constant source of food. They look for food in the trash can, on a poorly cleaned table, inside a sink with unwashed dishes, as well as in places behind the stove, refrigerator, and kitchen units.
Some of the “spun off” families can even settle outside the home, but despite this, they will return to the food source regularly. By the way, detection of insects is precisely possible when they move - they move in a path along their own paths.
We recommend that if you find a pest formation, you do not rush to kill them; it is best to keep an eye on them to find their nest - this is the only possibility of exterminating the entire colony.
Anthill growth and the role of queens
According to biologists, it is the queen ant that helps regulate the population of the colony. When the nest is small, she marks the laid eggs with pheromones that block sexual development, which is why they only produce workers. However, as the size of the colony increases after the queen emerges, the pheromones she produces are no longer sufficient, the eggs develop normally, and more females are hatched.
The anthill gradually grows and begins to divide into groups that move nearby, constantly maintaining relationships with the main nest: queens can move between nests, and ants can exchange food. Below is a photo of a queen ant near the eggs and workers.
Where do they live?
Ants prefer secluded places to settle, which are protected from human access. Anthills are especially common in large metropolitan areas.
If we talk about their favorite habitats, they choose:
- old furniture,
- The space between walls, furniture,
- The space between the floor boards,
- In electrical appliances and even sockets,
- Under the furniture.
Finding a nest of pests inside an apartment is a very difficult task, since it is characterized by its small size and location in the most secluded place.
To find food they move up to 30 meters (sometimes more) and return back. Since hostility between individuals is excluded, even in a small area there can be several anthills at the same time.
Ant "table of ranks"
Communication and mutual contact between fellow tribesmen is carried out using channels (signal and food). The colony is conventionally divided into “detachments”:
At the head of this legion is the queen, aka the queen.
. The uterus has the largest size. This is a real egg production conveyor. The working group of ants is required to care for eggs and pupae, search for and prepare food, repair and strengthen the anthill. A detachment of guard ants, the so-called soldiers, perform protective functions, guard entrances and deal with strangers. Females and males are destined for the role of participants in the process of reproduction.
Anthill defenders are a subspecies of the worker ant, but with slightly larger dimensions. Some ant species have insect soldiers that are unable to feed on their own. The workers are forced to feed them.
The main function of a soldier is protective. It protects the anthill, food supplies and foraging ants. A secondary task is to help dismember large prey into parts if the worker ant is not able to carry it away entirely.
Fighting insects in the apartment
Getting rid of pharaoh ants is a difficult task; even a small area of the room can contain a large number of nests where colonies of insects live. The only way to completely get rid of pests is to destroy the nests along with the queen, which is responsible for reproduction and breeding.
Note that folk remedies are not as effective and do not always remove parasites as specialized chemical preparations, but this is an excellent option if small children and pets live in an apartment or house.
To achieve maximum results, you should use chemicals, but this option involves excluding children and animals from the room during treatment. Pharaohs are characterized by unpretentiousness and a high level of resilience.
To get rid of arthropods Monomorium Pharaonis, we recommend using the following most popular means:
- Gel from the manufacturers Raptor, Absolute. Such agents are characterized by a prolonged effect and are aimed at destroying the colony. The only drawback is the duration of action. The principle of operation of the gels: ants step on the applied gel on surfaces, then bring them inside the nest - this makes it possible to destroy not only those individuals that are in direct contact with the poison, but also those who are inside the nest.
- Powder from the Mashenka brand, Clean House. The main feature of the action of such a remedy is the following: the powder falls on the legs of the arthropod, which begins to clean them. As a result, the insecticide enters the digestive system, poisons the pest and leads to death.
- Aerosols from Raptor, Dohlox, Dichlorvos. The drug, presented in the form of an aerosol, is easy to use and has a high level of effectiveness. The room should be treated with the windows closed, the product should be sprayed along the entire perimeter, but special attention should be paid to those places where parasites were previously noticed and where anthills are supposed to be located. Next, leave the treated room for a couple of hours.
In case of a large accumulation of pests in the apartment, the use of household products is not always effective. To achieve the expected results, you need to contact a specialized service for disinfestation.
How to catch?
For those who are interested in how to catch a queen ant and make an incubator for her, we can recommend preparing a long glass flask with cotton wool soaked in a small amount of water. You can search for the queen purposefully, waiting for the moment when the young emerge from an anthill in the forest, or you can find it on the street completely by accident.
For the incubator, it is best to find ant queens that have already shed their wings, which means they are fertilized and are looking for a place for their colony. You should catch it carefully, do not pick it up, but push it with a branch or blade of grass towards the flask.
Having placed an insect in an incubator, after a few days you can observe how the queen lays eggs, and then, after a certain time, larvae and workers are formed. Observing the life and behavior of ants will allow you to see their division into castes. According to scientists, it is precisely this social hierarchy in the anthill that allows them to be considered the most developed order of insects in the world, resistant to adverse natural phenomena.
Preventive measures
To prevent an ant invasion, certain preventive measures are required, namely:
- Regular cleaning of the premises with the obligatory use of soapy water and cleaning products,
- It is necessary to seal all cracks inside the floor, as well as other surfaces,
- You should take out your trash every day and leave your trash can clean,
- Food should be stored in hermetically sealed containers and inside a clean refrigerator,
- It is recommended to cover all ventilation openings with fine mesh,
- It is worth washing dishes immediately after finishing a meal,
- Always sweep up crumbs from the table if they remain after eating,
- The sink and sink should be left dry and treated regularly with a vinegar solution,
- All surfaces must be wiped free of dust.
Ants, regardless of species, always choose places where food is available. Therefore, if you hide all the food, they will not have the opportunity to feed and will leave your home. Keep your home clean and forget about the risk of annoying ants.
Effective folk remedies
Boric acid trap
This method is considered the most effective and efficient, just mix one teaspoon of boric acid and yeast in a glass of sweet and fragrant jam (raspberry, for example).
Instead of jam, you can take any sweet, tasty mass: some mix eggs, corn/rice flour, sugar and other thickeners with honey.
Mix thoroughly and spread a thin layer onto disposable cardboard plates. And place them in places where ants appear.
It is recommended to take just such plates, because... they are flat enough for ants to crawl into them without obstructions.
Garlic method
Follow the routes of the ants, wipe their paths with garlic 1-2 times a week. This disorients the ants, as the garlic interrupts their pheromone scent, which is how they find their way home.
Methods of “fragrant” repellents
Ants, like most insects, cannot tolerate some natural odors. You can place mint leaves, elderberry sprigs, lavender and wormwood around the house in insect habitats.
Another option is to sprinkle these areas with water, adding a teaspoon of any detergent and a couple of drops of essential citrus oils. You can also use a weak water-vinegar solution.
As for special adhesive tapes and adhesives against ants, we believe that they are much more expensive than conventional folk remedies, but the effectiveness is the same.
Damage from ants
It is believed that ants do not cause any harm to humans, do not damage decoration or furniture, and feed only on crumbs. Undoubtedly, insects living outside do not pose any danger. But a home ant colony can cause harm.
Firstly, ants are able to infest not only tables, but also closed cabinets. Due to their small size, they penetrate inside through narrow cracks. At the same time, like cockroaches, they carry germs and harmful substances on their paws. If microorganisms or poisons end up on food, you risk getting poisoned or contracting an intestinal infection.
In addition, ants penetrate household appliances, causing short circuits. Some insects are aggressive towards people and can bite. Most often children are bitten.
Ants reproduce very quickly. If you see two or three insects in the kitchen, within a week or two you will find a whole colony.
New nest
If you're a little late collecting the queens while they're still running around, they can still be collected when they start digging for a new nest. Start by looking around for a small hole in the ground surrounded by a small pile of fresh dirt.
Use a hand shovel to dig up the dirt around the hole and use your hand to smooth it out onto the surface of the soil.
If there was a queen in the hole, she will usually try to pull herself out of the mud to escape.
Capture
Let's say you're lucky and you see a queen crawling on the ground. If she has not shed her wings yet, it is better to leave her alone, she may not be fertilized yet. We only need queens that have already shed their wings - they will definitely be somewhere nearby. If you see one, then you can put it in the incubator.
Never grab the uterus with your hands! You can easily damage its legs or abdomen. She needs to be driven into the incubator, you can use improvised objects - adjust and guide the queen with a blade of grass, or a thin twig, or a piece of paper. The main thing is not to damage! If you don’t have an incubator with you, you can use another container to bring the queen home, but you don’t need to drag it, but move her to the incubator as quickly as possible. After that, try to identify the species. If it is a social parasite, release it; if the queen establishes a colony on her own, remove the incubator to a dark, quiet place and do not disturb it. Check back carefully in a couple of days - most likely she will already have a clutch of eggs. Now all that remains is to wait - it is advisable not to touch the queen at all for several weeks, every time you look in may result in the brood being eaten, and you will have to wait from the beginning.
Uterus Serviformica cunicilaria in vitro
Flight table
Now you are ready to go queen hunting! But there is one problem - each type of ant flies only at a certain time of the year, some species fly twice a year. How can we understand when the species we are interested in will fly? For this we can use the flight table. It shows approximately what time a particular species flies. You need to understand that the table shows deadlines, and this does not mean that your species will fly at that particular time.
Massive flight of the leafcutter Acromyrmex versicolor
Creation of an incubator
The next stage of preparation is the manufacture of incubators. You need to learn how to prepare apartments for the queen ant. This is done quite simply, you need to take a test tube or syringe with a sealed spout, pour boiled water into it, about one third. After this, you need to make a ball of cotton wool and push it into the test tube so that it is almost completely immersed in water. Turn the incubator over and make sure there is no water leaking. If you did everything correctly, then the queen will be able to live in this incubator and give rise to a new colony.
