Pharaoh Ants

Quick answerPharaoh ant colonies hold hundreds of queens at once and split into new colonies (called budding) when threatened.

One can of hardware-store spray can take a single colony and scatter it into a dozen new ones inside your walls, which is why DIY treatments almost always make the problem worse. The only thing that actually works is slow, patient baiting with non-repellent protein and sugar baits that workers carry back to the queens.

Quick answerIt happens, but it is rare.

Idaho winters wipe out any pharaoh ants in the soil, so they only survive in heated structures. Almost every confirmed pharaoh ant call we run in the Treasure Valley is in a multi-unit building: an older apartment complex, student housing near Boise State, a downtown condo, or a senior living facility. If you have tiny yellow ants in a stand-alone home, they're much more likely to be sugar ants or odorous house ants, not pharaohs.

Quick answerIn a single-family home or small condo, expect 4-6 weeks of baiting before the colony is fully knocked down.

In a large apartment building or healthcare facility, knockdown can take 2-3 months because the colonies bud through shared plumbing and electrical chases into neighboring units. Your first service is $49 on a quarterly or bimonthly plan, then ongoing visits every 60 or 90 days at $99 to $159 depending on home size. Call us at (208) 297-7947. We usually get out within 24 to 48 hours, and same-day is often available.