Workers 1/32"-1/16" long, yellow–brown with brown abdomen.
Males 1/8" long, black and winged.
Queens 1/8"-1/4" long, dark red in colour with wings.
Black eyes. 2 small segments at the pedicel.
Lifecycle
Multi–queen colonies.
Swarming can take place at any time of the year.
Winged adults seldom fly so rarely seen. Wings are soon lost after mating.
Habits
Well–defined trails are laid which are often associated with heating systems. Feeds indoors on high protein foods — meat, fats, blood, dead insects, etc.
Swarming characteristics — new colonies are often formed through nests that have been disturbed e.g., as a result of insecticide spray treatments. Each queen produces up to 3500 eggs in its lifetime.
Nest locations — deep seated in cavities in heated buildings. Often found in hospitals. Associated with humid conditions. Colonies can range from a few dozen to 300,000 individuals.