A commercial office building located in the Boucherville industrial park, on the South Shore, reported the presence of pharaoh ants in its collective catering premises and in several workspaces on the second floor. Pharaoh ants are particularly stubborn pests in mixed-use buildings, where the multiplicity of occupants, food sources and ventilation systems creates ideal conditions for their proliferation throughout the year. An active commercial building also poses logistical challenges for processing, as it requires intervening in a way that minimizes disruption to employees and tenants while covering all risk areas. our extermination services in Quebec managed this mandate rigorously, planning the interventions to limit the impact on the daily operations of the companies occupying the building while guaranteeing the maximum effectiveness of the treatment.
Multi-stage inspection and identification of infestation hotspots
The inspection of this four-storey building mobilized two technicians who went through all the premises, common areas and technical areas in a systematic manner. The pharaoh ants had established colonies in the false floors of the ground floor, where the heating and domestic hot water pipes pass, areas particularly conducive to their development because of the constant heat. Active trails were traced from the second-floor cafeteria to the main hallway washrooms, and into a tenant’s storage space on the third floor. Boucherville borders Varennes, and the heat accumulated in the commercial buildings of this industrial sector favors the establishment of wintering colonies of pharaoh ants, which can survive and reproduce throughout the cold season inside the heated structures. Our extermination team in Boucherville accurately mapped all areas of activity before designing the treatment plan, to ensure complete coverage with no forgotten areas that could become a refuge for surviving colonies.
Systematic baiting treatment plan
The treatment plan for the extermination of pharaoh ants in this commercial building was structured by zones and levels, taking into account the constraints specific to each space. In the cafeteria and catering areas, closed bait stations have been placed out of reach of food surfaces, in accordance with current health standards. In offices and workspaces, gel baits were placed along skirting boards, behind furniture and in accessible technical ducts. The areas of pipe penetrations in the false floors received a thorough treatment with additional baits targeting the most important fires. No aerosol insecticides were used in the occupied areas, so as not to expose employees to unnecessary chemicals. The building’s managers have given clear instructions to all tenants, including the obligation to avoid individual insecticidal sprays and to keep the dining areas clean and tidy throughout the treatment. This active coordination between the occupants of the building is a determining factor in the success of a collective treatment.
Results and preventive maintenance program
Follow-up visits at two and four weeks confirmed a gradual and steady reduction in ant activity throughout the building. The cafeteria showed the fastest results, thanks to the absence of food residues as a result of the new hygiene practices adopted by the employees. The false floor areas required additional baiting on the second visit, as the colonies were larger and better protected. At the end of the treatment, by the sixth week, managers were no longer reporting any ant sightings in common areas or offices. To sustain these results in a high-traffic building, we recommended a pest prevention program that included quarterly inspections tailored to the business context. Caulking of the entry points around the external piping passages was also carried out to permanently block the access routes from the outside of the building. Check out our project in another commercial building for additional examples of successful interventions of this type.