The facilities manager of a professional services firm occupying an office building in Contrecoeur, on the South Shore, reported the repeated presence of black ants in the break room and in the kitchens upstairs. Despite rigorous cleaning efforts by the maintenance team, ants continued to appear every morning around coffee machines and on countertops. The shared rooms of an office building are a complex environment, as food sources are distributed over several floors and the circulation routes in the walls allow insects to move freely. Deux-Montagnes, a neighboring city of Contrecoeur, reports similar problems in its office complexes.
Inspection of office premises
The inspection was carried out early in the morning before the arrival of the staff, which made it possible to observe the active ant tracks without disturbance. The species identified was the sweet ant (Tapinoma sessile), which is very common in buildings heated all year round. The main tracks went up from a nest in the insulation of the exterior wall of the telephone room, under the baseboards to the kitchen on the third floor, and then branched out to the two coffee machines and the microwave. A second satellite nest was detected in the false ceiling above the kitchen. Outdoors, a nest in the potted soil of a decorative planter installed near the main entrance door was a source of supply for the internal colonies. Our approach to house ant extermination applies fully to office environments, with the required adaptations for work schedules and the constraints related to the presence of staff.
Coordinated treatment on several floors
Effective treatment in a multi-storey office building requires precise coordination to simultaneously treat all identified households and prevent colonies from migrating from one floor to another. Non-repellent gel baits were placed in all identified transit areas on the two floors concerned: behind and under the appliances, in the technical spaces and along the party walls. The potted planter near the entrance was treated with an insecticidal powder applied directly to the soil, and employees were instructed not to move it for the duration of the treatment. Outside, a barrier spray was carried out around the foundation and along the main façade. A complete exterior insect treatment covered all access areas to the building to reinforce perimeter protection. The facilities manager was informed of the expected action times in order to manage staff expectations.
Preventive measures for an office environment
Our technician caulked the entry points around the phone room, filling in cable passages and cracks in the drywall. The entrance planter was removed from direct contact with the building and replaced on a raised stand. Practical instructions have been given to the staff and posted in the kitchen: do not leave dirty dishes in the sink, store sugars, coffees and snacks in airtight containers, and immediately report any reappearance of ants to the manager. These collective measures are essential in an environment where many people share common spaces and can unintentionally create sources of attraction.
Long-term results and management
A follow-up visit carried out three weeks after the treatment confirmed the total disappearance of ant tracks in the kitchen and in the technical room. All staff had followed the recommendations provided, which promoted the effectiveness of the treatment. The facilities manager opted for quarterly monitoring as part of the building’s maintenance contract. To consult other achievements of our team, we invite you to browse our realization of house ants in a residential building and our intervention against carpenter ants in an office context. Certified exterminator on the South Shore and the South Shore, we are available for any residential or commercial mandate in the Contrecœur region and its surroundings.