Domakihub How to Get Rid of Pharaoh Ants for Good
Why spraying makes infestations worse — and what actually works in Greek homes and rentals.
Reviewed by Domakihub home & decor pros · 2026-06-23 · 5 min read
Pharaoh ants are among the most stubborn household pests in Greece, nesting deep inside wall cavities, under flooring, and behind kitchen appliances where sprays never reach them. The video above walks through a proven four-step control method; this guide covers each step in detail and explains why the approach matters so much in apartments, holiday rentals, and hotels where these colonies thrive year-round thanks to Greece's warm climate. Follow the process carefully — one common mistake can split a single colony into dozens and make the problem significantly worse.
Why Pharaoh Ants Are Different from Other Ant Species
Pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis) are tiny — roughly 1.5–2 mm long — and pale yellow or amber in colour. Unlike most ant species, a single pharaoh ant colony can contain hundreds of queens, all capable of reproducing independently. This biology makes them extraordinarily resilient: if the colony senses a threat, queens simply move a portion of the workers and brood to a new location and start fresh, a process called budding.
In Greek apartments and holiday rentals, pharaoh ants exploit every gap in the building envelope. They travel through electrical conduits, plumbing chases, and cavity walls, which means a colony visible in one unit may actually be nesting two floors away. Seasonal warmth and the steady food sources found in kitchens and hospitality settings allow them to reproduce year-round rather than going dormant in winter.
The Spray Trap — and Why You Must Avoid It
The instinctive response to seeing ants is to reach for an aerosol insecticide. For pharaoh ants, this is the worst possible move. Contact sprays kill foraging workers on the surface but simultaneously trigger a stress response in the colony. Within days, the queens initiate budding, scattering satellite colonies to multiple new locations. What began as one infestation in a kitchen can quickly become five separate nests spread across an entire floor of a building.
This explains why pharaoh ant problems in Greek apartment blocks so often escalate after residents or cleaning crews spray. The same risk applies in hotels and holiday rentals where well-meaning maintenance staff treat visible trails with whatever product is on hand. Resist the urge to spray anything until the bait programme is complete and confirmed successful.
5 Steps to Eliminate Pharaoh Ants
- 1
Inspect and Map Every Trail
Before placing any product, spend time watching where the ants travel. Pharaoh ants follow consistent scent trails along skirting boards, under appliances, and around pipe penetrations. Photograph or sketch the routes — this tells you where to place bait stations for maximum forager contact and helps you track whether the population is declining over the following weeks.
- 2
Remove All Competing Food Sources
Bait only works if it is the most attractive food available. Seal all open food in airtight containers, clean crumbs and grease from behind the cooker and under the fridge, and fix any dripping taps since pharaoh ants are strongly drawn to moisture. In holiday rentals, brief incoming guests to keep kitchen surfaces clean during the treatment period.
- 3
Place Slow-Acting Gel or Solid Bait Stations on Active Trails
Choose a bait containing a slow-acting active ingredient such as hydramethylnon or indoxacarb — the ant must survive long enough to carry the toxicant back to the nest and feed it to queens and brood. Place bait stations directly on the trails you mapped, close to wall junctions and pipe entries. Do not crush or disturb foragers; you need them alive to transport the bait. Replace bait if it dries out or the ants stop feeding on a station.
- 4
Be Patient and Monitor for Two to Four Weeks
Pharaoh ant colonies can take three to six weeks to collapse fully, because the bait must cycle through multiple generations of workers and reach every reproductive queen. It is normal to see ant activity increase briefly in the first week as more foragers discover the bait — this is a good sign. Check stations every few days, replenish as needed, and resist any temptation to supplement with sprays or contact dusts during this period.
- 5
Seal Entry Points After the Colony Collapses
Once forager activity has stopped for at least two consecutive weeks, seal the structural gaps that allowed the colony to establish: fill pipe penetrations with fire-rated foam, seal cracks around skirting boards with silicone, and install door sweeps on exterior doors. In apartment blocks and hotel rooms, coordinate with building management so neighbouring units are inspected — an untreated adjacent unit can reintroduce the colony within months.
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FAQ
- Can I use an ant spray alongside bait stations to speed up the process?
- No. Using any contact insecticide while bait stations are active will cause the colony to bud. Queens detect the threat and disperse the colony into multiple new nests, making eradication much harder. Stick exclusively to slow-acting bait until the infestation is confirmed gone.
- How do I know which ant bait to buy in Greece?
- Look for gel or solid bait products sold at hardware stores (e.g. Praktiker, Leroy Merlin) that list hydramethylnon, indoxacarb, or boric acid as the active ingredient. Avoid fast-acting contact baits. If you manage a holiday rental or hotel, a licensed pest-control professional can supply and monitor professional-grade bait stations under Greek pesticide regulations.
- Pharaoh ants keep coming back every summer — why?
- Recurring infestations almost always mean the colony was never fully eliminated — budded satellite nests survived in wall cavities or a neighbouring unit. They may also re-enter through unsealed gaps from outside or from shared building infrastructure. A thorough bait programme followed by structural sealing, combined with building-wide cooperation in apartment blocks, is the only long-term solution.