Ants - small creatures, big nuisance:

The humble ant. Pretty insignificant you might think. But ants are empire builders and their colonies are designed to grow at any expense — including yours. Read about the main types of pest ant found in India below.

Danger Signs:

• Live insects: Sometimes Flying Alates - winged ants, especially after rains.
• Worker ants inside the premise, commonly near food sources, e.g. pantries and kitchen areas.
• Ant pathways in and out of your premises.
• Small heaps of earth or dirt indicating nest sites.

Potential Harm:

• Infest and contaminate foodstuffs
• Due to their small size they often manage to enter sterile areas and packaging, thus causing contamination.
• Often invade hospitals.
• Mechanical vectors for diseases, such as Salmonellosis. Especially in hospitals there is a strong risk of bacteria and viruses being mechanically spread by ants.

Business Consequences:

• Loss - Food and other products contaminated by ants have to be thrown away.
• Fear - The presence of ants, for example in hospitals alarms patients and raises questions about the overall hygiene and sanitation.
• Reputation - Compromised health and hygiene can lead to lost revenues.
• Increased maintenance cost - Cleaning cost increase if ants are inside the premises.
• Disgust - customers, for instance in a restaurant, might be put off by the presence of ants near or in their food.

Steps To Take:

• Identify the ant species - You will require help here.
• Proofing: Proof access points against Garden Ants.
• Arrange for regular ant control inspection visits by qualified pest control technicians.
• Arrange goods systematically: Store food items in airtight boxes, wash dishes immediately, have the area swiped regularly and make sure garbage is stored in plastic bags and removed daily. These sanitation measures will decrease your risk of ant infestations.