Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu, the third largest city in Quebec, is home to many schools in its neighbourhoods such as Vimont, Auteuil and Fabreville. Primary schools are among the most sensitive buildings when it comes to pest management: the safety of children imposes strict constraints on the products and methods used. It is in this context that an elementary school in the Pont-Viau sector of Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu contacted us after ants began to appear in the cafeteria and in the corridors adjacent to the main entrance, disrupting activities and causing concern among staff and parents.
Assessment of the school context
Intervention in a school setting requires special preparation. The school administration coordinated the holding of the inspection visit on a Friday afternoon, after the departure of the students. This precaution allowed the cafeteria, kitchens, emergency exits and outdoor surroundings to be inspected freely without risk to the children present.
The inspection revealed a main nest located in the earthen embankment between the sidewalk and the rear façade of the building, as well as a secondary colony under a concrete slab on the edge of the playground. The ants observed were pavemente ants, a species that is particularly aggressive in its search for food and capable of quickly colonizing the gaps in a building when food sources are available nearby. The cafeteria, with its inevitable crumbs and sugary residues, was a major attraction for the workers. Well-marked tracks had been established between the outdoor nest and the meal serving areas, and the ants were beginning to explore the storage spaces for condiments and sauces, which represented an unacceptable food hygiene risk in a school setting.
Treatment plan adapted to the sensitive environment
To guarantee the safety of the building’s occupants, we have exclusively used products approved for environments frequented by children, applied outside the hours when the students are present. The treatment took place in two distinct phases:
- Exterior phase: injection of insecticide into nests located in the embankment and under the concrete slab, followed by the installation of airtight bait stations along the foundation. These secure boxes are inaccessible to children while allowing ants to access them freely to carry the bait.
- Interior phase: application of bait gel in micro-doses in the cracks in the cafeteria floor and behind the baseboards of the corridors. The use of gel rather than spraying avoids any direct contact of the products with the surfaces frequented by the students on a daily basis.
Caulking the entry points was a key part of the work: our technicians sealed the electrical cable routes along the foundation, filled cracks in the joints of the cafeteria tiles and applied a sealant around the door sills leading to the backyard.
Communication with the school team and follow-up
After the treatment, we gave a complete report to the director of the establishment, including a description of the products used, their MSDSs and the time taken to re-enter the treated premises. We also organised a short meeting with the maintenance staff to inform them of the preventive hygiene measures to be maintained:
- Clean cafeteria surfaces daily, with special attention to corners and floor grooves.
- Store snacks and surplus food in airtight containers after each meal.
- Report any reappearance of ants immediately to the technical service in order to intervene quickly before the situation worsens.
Our team of exterminators in Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu is trained to intervene in institutional settings with rigor and discretion. To learn more about our techniques, visit our page on anthill destruction. You can also consult this achievement in an institutional setting and this case treated in a building with intense use to see how our interventions adapt to each particular context. Nova Extermination is proud to protect the most sensitive environments on the South Shore and South Shore of Quebec.