Ants in Your Office? Here’s How to Get Rid of Them

Office ant invasions peak in spring and early summer, with infestations often far more established than the foragers you can see suggest. Here is what building and facilities managers need to know about how ants operate and how to eliminate them effectively.

• Scout ants deposit chemical pheromone trails through hairline cracks in walls, floors, and foundations that are invisible to the naked eye, directing entire worker populations straight to available resources
• The visible foraging trail is rarely the full picture—mature infestations commonly include satellite colonies buried in wall cavities, utility conduits, and spaces behind plumbing that go undetected for months
• Reaching for a surface spray treats only the symptom as foraging workers are a small fraction of the colony, and killing them has no impact on the nest or queen
• Breakrooms, communal kitchens, and anywhere with dripping faucets or leaking pipes are primary targets, as ants require both food and consistent moisture to sustain a colony
• Closing off entry points, eliminating food residue, maintaining daily cleaning routines, and applying professional slow-acting baits are the only combination that delivers lasting results

Jump to:

Why Are There Ants In My Office?
How To Get Rid Of An Ant Infestation In Your Office
Prevent Ants In The Workplace
Professional Ant Control In New York, New Jersey, And Connecticut

Why Are There Ants in My Office?

Ants are social creatures with a complex caste system comprised of workers, queens and males. Each ant has a specific role to keep the colony running.

When food supplies are low or shelter is limited, ant colonies send out scouting parties to locate new resources and habitat. When these scouts discover your office pantry or a nice warm, damp space in the wall behind HR, they report back to their superiors with their findings.

The ant colony will establish an ant trail using pheromones as breadcrumbs to lead more temp workers to their new gig in your building. In some cases, a satellite colony may even be established away from the main nest.

How To Get Rid Of An Ant Infestation In Your Office

Sprays and traps might reduce the number of ants punching in everyday but to properly address your insect overpopulation problem, you’ll need to find and treat the nest. If you have a lot of ants, chances are you’ve got a satellite nest.

Ideally, you can track stray ants back to the bigger group and locate their nest. This may be tricky if they’re in the walls or other tight places. Ants love dark, moist areas, so focus on these types of spaces.

Ant baits are your best bet for eliminating your ant problem. These are slow acting pesticides disguised as sweet treats. Not only do scout ants discover and eat these treats, they bring them back to the nest to share. In this way, the pesticide is spread to the epicenter of the problem. You might try a variety of different ant baits to see which is most effective in your situation.

If you aren’t having luck with baits or need help locating the source of your ant infestation, a professional pest control technician can help. Ants are smart creatures and they’ve been around since the dinosaurs.

Prevent Ants in The Workplace

The best way to keep ants out of office buildings is to prevent them from coming in in the first place. The way to do that is to maintain a clean secure workplace:

• Clean up after eating
• Keep food stored in pest-proof containers
• Vacuum daily
• Repair drippy faucets and plumbing leaks
• Seal windows and doors

Ants will naturally build their colonies outside. Don’t give them a reason to come inside. Leaving food out, especially sweet or greasy foods will only summon more ants. Having damp or dark unmaintained spaces may give them a place to set up their own workspace.

Professional Ant Control in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut

Assured Environments has been dealing with ants, great ants and great grand ants for generations. We know how to locate and eliminate the ant population in your office building. Call or contact us today for long-lasting pest control solutions for your business.