Ants Are a Threat

To limit your risk, make sure that exterior receiving doors seal tightly when closed, as it doesn’t take much room for ants and other pests to sneak through—rats only need an opening the size of a quarter, mice a dime, and cockroaches a fraction of an inch.

A pest management professional can make sure receiving doors form a tight seal to keep ants out.
Image Credit: ORKIN

Inspect all incoming shipments for signs of pests, such as damaged packaging. Keep receiving areas clean, well lit, and free of unnecessary stockpiles—ants see clutter as a perfect hiding place. Dispose of empty and unused cardboard boxes as quickly as possible.

Containers with ingredients—or even dry goods for that matter—should remain closed with airtight lids and stored at least six inches off the floor and a foot and a half away from walls.

Prepare Your Interior for Success

Just like the exterior, you will want to search out and caulk any cracks and crevices around your wall and ceiling junctures, wall and floor junctures, and corners inside facility, and at utility penetration points.

Break rooms, offices, or locker rooms that employees use are another hotspot, as ants and other pests can find the food, water, and shelter needed to survive in these areas. Inform your staff of your new IPM measures to make sure they are doing their part to keep these areas clean and sanitary, especially underneath sinks, around drains, and near water pipes.

Empty trash cans often and clean up any spills immediately. These simple sanitation steps will make a noticeable difference for your IPM program. Additionally, you’ll want to set up a routine sanitation schedule to clean equipment and floors to keep any liquids that could attract pests from building up. You can remove greasy buildups with an organic cleaner that will have a minimal impact on the environment.

To optimize the sanitation and cleaning of equipment and machinery, stay away from squeezing equipment into tight areas. The best floor plans have machinery in wide open spaces. This way, equipment and machinery are easily accessible from all sides and a lot easier to clean.

Remember, the sanitation team needs to be able to reach areas above, beneath, and along the sides of equipment without any problems. If they can’t, consider moving equipment to a larger space. In addition, minimize any water and liquid accumulation to keep all areas within the facility dry and to prevent any damage to products.

When Treatments Are Needed

In some cases, you can use ants’ own biology against them. Pheromone traps incorporate a synthetically reproduced version of natural pest pheromones, which offer another way to monitor pests by luring them into a trap. Insect growth regulators employ man-made hormones to stunt insect growth and prevent reproduction and population growth without posing any threat or health hazards to people.

Other non-chemical treatments include sticky boards, which can be used to trap and monitor ants.

If your pest management professional determines that chemical treatments are necessary, you can target ants and other pests with precise treatments rather than a general application all over your facility. Non-volatile and non-repellent gel baits can be applied directly to cracks and crevices where pests feed on them and can take them back to the colony. Unlike sprays, gel formulations will not become airborne so they won’t be inhaled or contaminate sterile surfaces. Additionally, bait pucks and containerized baits can be used in damp, dark areas.

Ask your staff to report any ant sightings to your pest management professional and have your pest management professional talk to your staff about what they can do to help keep ants from becoming a problem in your facility—many providers offer staff training at no extra cost.