Once the weather starts to get warmer, ant colonies wake up from their winter slumber to grow their numbers. This can spell trouble for commercial facilities particularly for restaurants (full service and fast food), healthcare facilities and office parks.
Left unchecked, ant colonies can grow quickly. The colonies can reach the size of a city block and produce multiple queens that will strike out on their own and start satellite colonies further propagating their nuisance levels. Pavement, Argentine and odorous house ants.
“Ants will reduce their colony size over the winter and rising temperatures signal a call to action to increase egg production,” says Ashley Roden, training specialist for Sprague. “Historically we see a spike in callbacks in March and early spring for ants and a perimeter treatment with a non-repellent product will help prevent colonies from growing.”
The timing of the treatment application is important – early March is ideal before colony sizes get larger – and Sprague offers a complete tool box of non-repellent products with unique modes of action that have proven highly effective against ants.
“You want the product out early for maximum impact to allow foraging ants to come into contact with the product and take it back to the colony and transfer it to other members,” says Roden.
In addition to knocking down the size of the colony, perimeter treatments also deter ants from seeking access inside your facility and becoming a nuisance to your customers, patients and employees.
Roden says once ant colonies reach a certain size or they gain access to wall voids, drop ceilings or food storage units they can become more problematic and costly to manage.
A perimeter treatment involves targeted application into cracks and crevices, under siding, eaves and soffits, and other areas where ants are known to forage and feed.
What do clients need to do to prepare for a perimeter ant treatment?
Roden suggests:
- Follow good landscape practices including trimming tree branches that are in contact with buildings (ants can access your facility via the roof), using less mulch (mulch holds moisture and moisture attracts ants), and maintain an 18 to 24 inch plant and mulch free barrier around the foundation.
- Remove clutter – shipping pallets, empty cardboard boxes, etc. – on the exterior of buildings. These items can provide ants (and other pests) with an all-to-close spot to your front door and easy access inside.
- Seal door bottoms and cracks in foundation.
Contact your Sprague representative to see if an early season perimeter treatment for ants is right for your facility.