Brossard, a large city on the South Shore whose Lachenaie and Brossard-ville neighbourhoods are home to many restaurant businesses, presents particular challenges in terms of pest management. Our team was called by the owner of a regional cuisine restaurant whose seasonal terrace, furnished with interlocking pavers, had been invaded by cobblestone ants. The workers had found their way to the kitchen using the joints between the deck slabs and the cracks in the adjacent foundation wall. In the restaurant industry, the presence of ants represents a major risk for hygiene certification and can lead to administrative closure if not dealt with quickly and effectively.
Inspection in the context of restoration
The inspection was carried out early in the morning, before the arrival of the kitchen staff, to access all the spaces without operational constraints. The technician inspected the outdoor deck, foundation, garbage can exit area, and the interior of the kitchen and pantry. Outside, three fireplaces were located: one under the slabs of the terrace on the street side, one in the joints of the foundation wall at the back and a third in the embankment adjacent to the delivery area. Inside, ants were observed behind the commercial refrigerator, under the griddle, and in the tile joint near the floor drain. The storage area for oils and condiments also showed traces of transit, indicating that the insects had located lipid food sources. The extent of the infestation warranted simultaneous indoor and outdoor treatment to prevent migration to new areas.
Certified Processing for Catering Establishments
The treatment protocol for this extermination of pavement ants in Brossard complied with the strict requirements applicable to food establishments in Quebec. Outside, granular spinosad-based baits were applied to the deck and around the foundation periphery, and a non-volatile residual spray treated the exterior foundation walls. Inside, only encapsulated, odorless bait gels approved for professional kitchens were used. These gels were deposited in cracks in tiles, behind equipment and under baseboards, out of reach of food preparation surfaces. The cracks in the foundation wall identified were sealed with a food-grade sealant compatible with existing materials. Our team in Brossard is familiar with the specific protocols for restaurant establishments. Check out our work on pavement ants in a South Shore restaurant to compare our approach. Our work on anthills in a context of restoration also offers useful additional insights.
Compliance, monitoring and seasonal prevention
A certificate of action was issued after treatment, in accordance with MAPAQ requirements for food establishments. The owner received specific recommendations: repointing the deck with a high-strength polymer product, installing jam-free door seals under doors to the outside, cleaning floor drains daily, and hermetically managing organic waste bins. To protect the terrace and the perimeter of the restaurant from insects in the long term, a complete caulking of the entry points was planned before the next season. A control visit carried out five weeks after the intervention confirmed the absence of any pavement ant activity, allowing the restaurant to maintain its hygiene certification without interruption. As a certified exterminator on the South Shore and South Shore, Nova Extermination supports restaurateurs and food businesses with solutions that comply with the strictest standards in Quebec.