Wherever food, food debris and moisture are present, you can be reasonably certain pests will make an appearance. Ants are one of, if not the most, commonly encountered pests.
A frequent visitor to backyard picnics, ants can be a nuisance to commercial facilities, especially those with food processing, preparation and service operations.
While not a food safety threat like cockroaches, flies or rodents, ants can indicate a sanitation issue. They are an annoyance to facility managers and the sight of an ant trail across your commercial kitchen floor, dining area or office break room is displeasing to customers and employees. Including ant services in your pest management program is as easy as talking with your Sprague service representative.
The best defense is a good offense when you are dealing with ants. Keep them from being attracted to areas in your facility where they can have their needs met with ample food, moisture and places to hide.
Keep these pests from establishing shop in your facility, with our 8 Tips for Ant Prevention:
1. Take out the trash on a regular basis in strong bags. Place the dumpster away from the doors and ensure it is emptied regularly and perhaps more frequently during the warmer summer months.
2. Keep kitchen equipment and cabinets that are hard to move on rollers to make it easier to clean around and underneath them.
3. Clean floor drains and ventilation screens regularly.
4. Check roofs, gutters, window and door frames and screens, ventilation and utility openings, foundations and exterior walls for openings. Repair openings with caulk or sealants.
5. Replace cracked tiles on the walls and floors where food and water can accumulate.
6. Overgrown vegetation provides shelter for a variety of pests. Keep shrubs and trees trimmed, and maintain an 18 to 24-inch barrier between vegetation and the structure.
7. Store food in pest-proof containers and discourage employees from keeping food in their work areas that isn’t stored properly.
8. Make sure there is no excess moisture, stagnant water, leaking pipes or dripping faucets.