Pharaoh Ants: Help Me Destroy Them

Factual Questions
1

Recently I loved into a new apartment on the 35th floor of a complex in Toronto. To my dismay, the building is infested with ants. They are very small little browish-red ants, and I believe they are Pharaoh ants, as does building management. Fortunately they don’t sting, but I’m disgusted by having them.

Needless to say I am displeased. Building management will soon recieve a registered letter expressing my displeasure and hinting that I might take legal action if the infestation is not dealt with. Apparently this has been a problem for at least a month and I was not informed before we moved in.

Anyway, that’s fine, but in the meantime I want to do battle with the ants. I haven’t done much of anything yet because it is my understanding that different ants need different approaches for successful extermination.

My research on pharaoh ants has revealed:

  1. Most sources agree you should not spray them, as this will frighten them into creating new queens and new nests.

  2. You can kill them with poison bait but only certain brands work. “Maxforce” is a frequently cited successful brand that is said to be effective.

Has anyone else has pharaoh ants or known someone who did? What worked and what didn’t? And where the heck do you get Maxforce poison? I can’t find it anywhere.

2

Ants are nature’s little cleaners, Rick. Along with cockroaches, rats and blowfly maggots. I am surprised management are not charging you extra for them.

The building contractor I asked about this problem suggested that if the ants had reached the 35th floor, someone had probably mixed a good percentage of sugar into the concrete (for…er…strength…and because sugar is less expensive than concrete) and the ants have mistaken it for the land of milk and honey with you supplying the milk.

Seriously though, if you want some deadly ant poison, sprinkle a packet or two of Equal™ (Aspartame) along their path. They won’t eat it, but they will be gone in a day. If this advice turns out to be an urban legend, better information is probably at http://www.pestcontrolcanada.com/ .

3

The active ingredient in Maxforce is called hydramethylnon. Here’s the sheet on it.

This search on hydramethylnon pharaoh probably contains other useful tradenames and products.