What a cute little chap he is, all nice and cuddly, not really, this guy got his common name because he was erroneously believed to have been one of the plagues of ancient Egypt. In fact this species came from the tropics and reached Europe in the early parts of this century. It is completely dependant on heated houses, hospitals, laundries and the like. Just like native ants, these also live in colonies, but in contrast to most other species there are sometimes several other queens in each colony.

Life Cycle and Habits:

Female Pharaoh ants can lay 400 or more eggs in her lifetime. Most lay 10 to 12 eggs per batch in the early days of egg production and only four to seven eggs per batch later. At 80°F and 80 percent relative humidity, eggs hatch in five to seven days. The larval period is 18 to 19 days, prepupal period three days and pupal period nine days. About four more days are required to produce sexual female and male forms. The entire life cycle takes about 38 to 45 days depending on temperature and relative humidity. Unlike most ants, they breed continuously throughout the year in heated buildings and mating occurs in the nest.


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