The owners of a recent single-family home built in a new residential development in Saint-Constant, on the South Shore, were unpleasantly surprised to discover pharaoh ants in their home barely two years after moving in. This scenario, while surprising, is more common than you might think in new construction: building materials or landscaping can accidentally introduce fledgling colonies, and new homes offer empty, well-heated spaces that are perfect for these tropical insects. The owners had initially thought they were dealing with simple house ants, but the characteristic amber color of the individuals and their tiny size of less than two millimeters led our diagnosis to pharaoh ants from the first visit. Our certified extermination team intervened quickly to stop the infestation before it spread to the entire structure and forced a much more cumbersome and expensive intervention.
Diagnosis in a new construction
New homes have specific characteristics that influence the progression of pharaoh ant infestations. Cavities in walls are often more accessible, construction joints may have unsealed gaps in the first few years, and heating systems maintain high indoor temperatures from the first winter season. The inspection revealed that the pharaoh ants had established their main nest in the space between the insulation of the exterior wall and the gypsum board of the kitchen, in the direct vicinity of the dishwasher which gave off heat and humidity constantly. Side tracks ran along the electrical ducts to the bathroom on the ground floor. Saint-Constant adjoins Sainte-Sophie, and the wooded lots near this residential development are a natural reservoir of insects that can colonize new constructions. Our exterminator in Saint-Constant also inspected the garage and crawl space, two areas that are often overlooked but frequently colonized in recent homes in this region of the South Shore.
Treatment adapted to the configuration of a new house
Treatment against pharaoh ants in this context relied on the strategic placement of slow-transfer gel baits in all areas of activity identified during the inspection. Particular attention was paid to the kitchen and bathroom areas, where the humidity and heat conditions favour the development of colonies continuously throughout the year. Bait was also placed in the crawl space, along the foundation joists, and in the garage near the service front door. Owners have been made aware of the importance of not disturbing baiting trails, keeping counters and floors clean, and avoiding parallel processing with commercial products for the duration of the professional treatment. We also examined the seals around windows and garage doors, which had some deficiencies that could serve as an entry point for new colonies from outside the property.
Monitoring, complete elimination and structural prevention
The first control visit, three weeks after the initial treatment, confirmed a high consumption of the baits in the kitchen and crawl space, a sign that the workers were actively transporting them to the deep-nested colonies. New doses were applied to the most active points to maintain pressure on the queens and ensure complete elimination. At the final visit at five weeks, no activity was detectable, even with strategically placed surveillance traps for an additional week. To protect this new home in the long term, we gave the owners a plan of recommendations that included sealing the pipe penetrations in the basement, moving wood and compost piles away from the foundation, and checking the construction joints annually. Professional caulking of entry points was carried out around the plumbing passages in the basement to block any reintroduction. Check out our case study on house ants in the region for examples of comparable interventions on the South Shore.