Hotels and restaurants are being warned to be on the lookout for unwelcome guests, with pest experts saying that a new generation of tropical ants, some of which were unknown in the UK until recently, are now establishing significant colonies in several areas of the country.
Multiple-occupancy buildings such as hotels create ideal living conditions for the insects which will also head to areas where food is prepared, and pest control companies have reported a significant increase in the number of infestations in Britain in the last few years.
Risks to public health
Species such as pharoah and argentine ants have been in the UK for decades, but others including ghost, crazy and big-headed ants have emerged from all over the world to pose a risk to public health.
Some will bite or sting and they can carry a wide range of disease organisms such as streptococcus, which causes infections. They can also contract salmonella, which makes them particularly dangerous if they contaminate food.
The trend is being blamed on the continuing growth of world trade along with the increasing popularity of multi-occupancy buildings such as flats and tower blocks, which provide perfect conditions for the insects.
Ideal living conditions
Pest control expert David Cross, of independent register BASIS PROMPT, says hotels provide ideal living conditions for the insects, which need constant warmth to survive.
He added: “Most tropical ants can’t live outside, but they can thrive in places where heating is on all the time.
“Areas around heated water pipes in particular create an ideal environment and they’ll often be found foraging for protein or sugars around bins or behind fridges – they’ll generally head to areas where food is manufactured or prepared.”
“People could end spreading the problem, rather than removing it, so treatment is specialised and proper control techniques must be used – it’s a job for the experts.”
Use an expert
Hoteliers are being urged to employ a member of BASIS PROMPT – a professional register providing independent proof of pest control credentials.
Rob Simpson, managing director of the scheme, said: “Our members are all fully-trained experts who are obliged to stay up to date with the latest products, techniques and legislation.
“They’ll give the best advice as well as provide safe, effective and legal treatment to remove tropical ants and every other pest infestation.”
Pharoah ants
Typically 2mm long, they are light yellow to reddish brown in colour with a darker abdomen.
Their origin is unknown, but they’ve now been introduced to virtually every area of the world and are notorious for being a major indoor nuisance, especially in hospitals, prisons, other institutions that are permanently heated.
Elimination and control are difficult as multiple colonies can consolidate into smaller colonies during extermination programmes only to repopulate later.
Argentine ants
A dark ant which, as its name suggests, was once native to South America. The invasive species became established in Mediterranean countries before spreading to the UK fairly recently.
Worker ants are around 3mm long, with queens – there are often as many of eight for every 1,000 workers – two to four times that length.
They will set up home in the ground, cracks in concrete walls, spaces between timbers, even among human belongings. They’re also renowned for forming large colonies and for becoming a significant pest which attacks native animals and crops.
Ghost ants
So named because their legs and abdomen look transparent, with only the head and thorax being dark brown in colour. The colouring makes this tiny ant (1.5 mm) seem even smaller.
The tropical species, now found around the world including the UK, is sometimes known as the ‘corpse’ ant, because of the unpleasant smell they secrete then crushed.
They exhibit a need for moisture, and although colonies are usually established outside, they can readily set up camp inside domestic houses during dry conditions.
Crazy ants
Originally native to Argentina and Brazil, the name comes from the fact they’re prone to sporadic movements.
They’re 3.2mm long with a slender, long-legged body covered reddish-brown hairs. Colonies have multiple queens, which makes them difficult to fully exterminate, and they do not use centralised nests or mounds, living instead under stones or piles.
Big-headed ants
Thought to have originated in Egypt, the insects named because of their disproportionately large head, have now spread to many parts of the world, including the UK.
The soldiers are about 4mm long, twice as long as the minor workers and the colour of both types varies from yellowish-brown or reddish-brown to nearly black.
About BASIS PROMPT
The BASIS PROMPT Pest Controllers register is an industry initiative providing independent proof that a pest controller has received proper professional training and has continued to update their expertise through Continuing Professional Development (CPD). To be eligible for BASIS PROMPT, pest control technicians need to have achieved Level Two in Pest Management or Pest Control.
Registration must be renewed each year, so members will always be aware of the most up-to-date techniques, products and legislation.
To remain registered, technicians and managers have to gain 20 CPD points a year. Points can be gained through a variety of methods including new training or attending trade events.