""The economics of today’s society brings many challenges to business owners by placing an even greater emphasis on customer retention. One of the surest ways to retain customers is by developing and maintaining a good reputation and a sure way to do just that is by keeping a clean and pest-free commercial establishment.

Commercial Ant Issues

Some of the more common pests in commercial environments include ants. It can be very unsettling for customers to enter a business that is crawling with an infestation of ants. As common as they are, ants pose a serious threat to customers and employees because of potential health risks they present. Ants can cause contamination to food products and can even find lunches in the employee breakroom.

Ants are social pests, meaning that seeing a few ants in your building invariably means there are many more that can’t be seen. These pests can cause food contamination, threaten hygiene standards and scare customers away from doing business with you. Ants can invade hospitals and nursing homes, contaminating sterile areas.

Ants can represent two categories; nuisance ants and ants who pose a physical threat of damage to property. Some of the more common nuisance ants are odorous house ants and pavement ants. Carpenter ants are America’s largest ant species and are a dangerous threat to the physical structure of buildings and property. While they do not eat wood, they are incredible excavators, tunneling into wooden structures and creating galleries to build their nests. The pharaoh ant is also an insect of concern because of their tendencies to infiltrate places like hospitals, nursing homes, restaurants and apartment buildings. It’s not so much their ability to invade that is of real concern, but their ability to transmit Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas infections in places like hospital settings.

Tips to Prevent and Reduce an Ant Infestation in Your Home and Restaurant

Protecting your business property from an invasion of ants requires an elimination of food, water and shelter. Commercial pest control companies are trained and have the newest methods and techniques on how to get rid of ants. Once an infestation of ants occurs, it can be very difficult to get rid of them. To effectively eliminate ants, the entire colony must be eradicated. Copesan local experts are knowledgeable and have the proper training and experience to successfully locate and destroy ant colonies. They will rid your business of ants and establish commercial pest control plans to prevent repeat infestations.

Business owners can reduce the risk of infestation with a few helpful tips:

  • Practice good sanitation, especially in kitchens and eating areas. Clean up any food crumbs or spills immediately, as these are great attractants to a worker ant.
  • Keep all food items in sealed containers and regularly empty trash cans.
  • Fix any water leaks and repair moisture issues.
  • Move debris and lumber away from buildings and foundations to eliminate potential nesting sites.
  • Caulk around windows and doors and any other potential points of entry.

Following these preventive tips will help protect your business from an infestation of ants.