Pest Control in Neptune, NJ

Challenge

Recently, I went on a service call for one of our commercial clients, a restaurant owner, in Neptune, NJ who was having an issue with ants in his kitchen. As I began my inspection, I immediately noticed a trail of ants near one of the utility sinks. Taking a closer look, I identified the ants as pavement ants. Pavement ants are about 1/8 of an inch long and are dark brown to black. They can establish pheromone trails for distances of up to 30 feet. To put that in perspective, that is the equivalent of a six-foot-tall human establishing a scent trail of three and one-half miles! Why are they called pavement ants? They often nest under stones and pavement cracks. These ants invade structures to forage for a wide variety of foods, especially seeds, honey, bread, meats, nuts, and cheese.

As I followed the ant trail, I noticed that they were traveling underneath the catch-all pan on top of the sink. After lifting the pan. I found significant ant activity in the sink near the drain. Also, the catch-all pan was caked with food debris and grease inside. It was apparent that the catch-all pan and the sink hadn’t been properly cleaned in quite some time. Because ants are strongly attracted to the scent of grease, when discarding food debris, it is important to clean the sink with either soap or vinegar with water. Cleaning the sink with only water may not eliminate the food scents that attract ants.

Solution

First, I cleaned up the food debris and grease around the sink and in the catch-all pan. I then unclogged the sink drain and sanitized it. I determined that the pavement ants were gaining access to the kitchen via a tiny crack in one of the baseboards. I treated all the cracks, crevices, and baseboards in the kitchen with a light liquid application, and then treated the exterior perimeter of the building as well. This application is designed to keep the ants alive long enough to carry the application back to their colony. When ants forage, they leave a pheromone trail for them to follow back to the colony. Once an ant finds food, it lays down an even stronger pheromone trail, and other ants start following it. When ants come in contact with this application they transfer it from one to another. In a short amount of time, the ant issue is resolved. To prevent ant infestations, proper sanitation is essential. I discussed with the owner the importance of regularly cleaning and maintaining his sinks and other areas of the kitchen and the proper cleaning techniques to remove insect-attracting food odors.