Saint-Amable, the capital of the Montérégie region on the South Shore, is a constantly growing city with residential neighbourhoods that extend towards Mirabel and Prévost. Among the many types of properties we serve in this sector, family daycares occupy a special place: they are private homes for young children, which imposes the same constraints as a sensitive institutional environment while being part of an ordinary residence. An educator operating a family daycare in Saint-Amable called us after discovering a large anthill in the backyard that children attend daily.
Diagnosis of the situation
The inspection took place in the morning, before the arrival of the children. Our technician inspected the entire backyard, the flower bed along the fence, the sandpit and the swing surrounds. The main nest was under the concrete slab supporting a small garden shed, with extensions visible in the adjacent flowerbed. A smaller secondary nest had been established in a corner of the wooden fence, where the planks touched the wet ground directly.
The species identified was the pavemente ant, a small but very prolific species whose colonies can quickly reach several thousand individuals. Their presence in a play space for young children is problematic: although their bites are of low intensity, they can cause reactions in sensitive children, and the presence of ants in the sandbox is unacceptable from a hygienic point of view for a licensed daycare service.
Safe treatment in a home setting
Our protocol has been designed to ensure the safety of children at every stage. All products used were selected from formulations registered for use in residential settings frequented by children, and the application was performed outside of their hours. A specific re-entry deadline was communicated in writing to the educator before the intervention began.
The treatment consisted of three complementary elements:
- Direct injection of insecticide into the galleries under the concrete slab of the shelter, with puttying of the openings after treatment to confine the effect to the deep galleries.
- Application of low-risk granular bait around the fence nest and along the bed, with temporary protective screen to prevent children from accessing the treated area for the first two weeks.
- Complete replacement of the sandbox sand after inspection confirming the absence of galleries underneath, as contamination of the sand by insects represents a hygienic risk independent of treatment.
For an overview of our methods for different types of infestation, see our page on anthill destruction. Our work in a sensitive residential context and this case dealing with a family yard problem illustrate our methodical and rigorous approach.
Preventive recommendations and follow-up
Following the treatment, we gave the educator a summary document of the preventive measures adapted to the constraints of a daycare:
- Raise the fence boards to eliminate direct contact with the ground and remove a potential nesting point along the perimeter.
- Cover the sandbox with a tight-fitting lid when not in use, to prevent both contamination and nesting in the sand.
- Avoid leaving leftovers from children’s snacks in the yard, and make sure compost bins are securely closed at all times.
Our team of exterminators in Saint-Amable is aware of the issues of childcare facilities and intervenes with the necessary precautions. For long-term protection of outdoor spaces, our outdoor insect treatment service can be implemented seasonally, starting in the spring, to prevent the establishment of new colonies. Our extermination services in Quebec cover the entire South Shore, including Saint-Amable and the neighboring municipalities of the Montérégie, with a professional and reassuring approach for families.