If you thought ants were just nuisance pests, think again. Pharaoh ants and fire ants are known disease carriers. For hospitals, schools, and nursing homes, these ants can cause not only illness but even death. Find out more about the problem and what you can do to prevent having these dangerous ants getting into your property.
Experts estimate the world is home to 22,000 ant species. Two of them, the notorious, pharaoh ants and fire ants are major problems throughout the world in hospitals, nursing homes and schools. They're creating new headaches for public administrators and operations managers. Why all the fuss? Pharaoh ants and fire ants are more than a nuisance; they're responsible for serious human illness and sometimes even death.
The pharaoh ant is one of the world's premier ant pests. The tiny disease carrying pharaoh ant (1/16 of an inch in length) is difficult to see with a visual inspection. These tiny insects have a translucent, reddish gold color. Although a tropical species, thanks to central heating they are now flourishing in colder climates.
Pharaoh ants live in multi-colonies with thousands or hundreds of thousands of members. They establish huge colonies throughout hospitals, nursing homes, schools and other settings. Pharaoh ants have even penetrated the security of recombinant DNA laboratories (source: Haack and Granovsky). The warmth seeking pharaoh ants build nests around central heating pipes and boiler rooms. They also live in warm, moist inaccessible areas such as inside furniture, behind baseboards and under floors. Pharaoh ants may even find homes between layers of bed linens and in piles of trash and inside appliances. Once they invade a building they're just about impossible to eliminate.
These insects have a wide food preference ranging from fruits to syrups, meats, fatty foods, oily foods and dead insects. In hospitals, nursing homes and schools, these pests easily carry germs from one area to another. Pharaoh ants are known to spread diseases, some life threatening, especially to the sick and elderly.
Researchers have analyzed pharaoh ants found in hospitals - they discovered over a dozen types of pathogenic bacteria. According to The Lancet, one of the world's prestigious medical journals, pharaoh ants captured in nine hospitals were found to be carriers of Pseudomonas, Salmonella spp., Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., and Clostridium spp.
In severely infested environments, pharaoh ants brazenly crawl into human wounds and dine on blood plasma and wound dressings. These ants can spread bacteria and disease while traveling from patient to patient. Newborns and burn victims residing in pharaoh ant-infested hospitals are subjected to increased risk due to the pharaoh ants' pathogens. In hospitals, they have been observed searching for moisture from the mouths of sleeping babies and from active IV bottles.
It is best to ask an expert to deal with these unwanted guests. If you disturb a colony they split the colony through a process called budding and will create several new nests in adjacent areas. To help prevent infestations in hospitals, nursing homes and schools, keep food in sealed, secure containers and keep areas free of food particles and sweet liquids. These insects contaminate food with the pathogens they've picked up while crawling in buildings.
Red imported fire antswere accidently brought to the United States from South America in the early 1900's. These ants are aggressive, efficient competitors. They live in large colonies in dirt nests, which form mounds. They eat plants and occasionally smaller insects. Their bites create a burning sensation and painful pustules in about 50 percent of people bitten. Infected pustules can turn into scars.
Fire ants inject their venom by utilizing the biting parts of their jaw and rotating their bodies. They often inject venom into a victim numerous times. People allergic to fire ant venom may experience anaphylaxis; a life-threatening allergic reaction.
People are more likely to be attacked while outdoors, however there have been reports of fire ants stinging people in nursing homes, hotels and homes. Fire ant stings have actually killed a small number of nursing home patients (source: The American Journal of Medicine).
In severely fire ant infested hospitals and nursing homes, cognitively impaired, immobile patients are particularly at risk of a fire ant attacks. An attack may cause respiratory tract obstruction, frank anaphylaxis and the worsening of pre-existing conditions. In Florida, in 2000, Mary L. Morales Gay, an elderly nursing home patient with Alzheimer's disease, died a day after being bitten 1,625 times by fire ants (source: Associated Press). Why was she bitten that many times? Vibration or movement inspires a group of fire ants to bite. It's natural for people move when fire ants swarm on their arms or legs.
Fire ant attacks have inspired lawsuits against doctors and health care facilities (source: The American Journal of Medicine). In 2005, Earl Dean Griffith, while recuperating from surgery in a Florida nursing home, died after being bitten by hundreds of fire ants. The 73 year old Griffith died from a combination of shock and ant poison in his system. Mariner Health Care, one of the nation's largest nursing home chains, agreed to pay his family members $1.8 million. As you can see, fire ant infestations are not just a problem for third world countries, but can be an issue for healthcare facilities and nursing homes in the United States.
Ants of all varieties crawl through their own waste material, animal feces and other waste material as they move around their environment and nest. Their body can pick up and deposit bacteria and other microorganisms throughout hospitals, nursing homes, schools, homes etc. School cafeterias should be extra careful; as these specific pest ants transmit food-borne illnesses such as dysentery and Salmonella on food and food preparation surfaces. Safety measures and proactive professional ant control services may prevent diseases and lawsuits.
Due to the adaptive nature of ant colonies, destroying the entire colony is nearly impossible. Typically pest management companies will strive to control local ant populations. Hospitals, nursing homes and schools should eliminate food particle and sweet liquid messes quickly. Your facility may not currently have disease carrying ants but they are spreading around the United States. It is best to implement a comprehensive ant prevention program with the help of a professional pest management firm to avoid human illness and lawsuits from ant infestations.
A Single Mouse in the House Won’t Be Lonely for Long!
When mice are present, paper shredded for nest building and gnaw marks on woodwork or cabinets may also be evident. A mouse in the house is nothing to ignore. These small rodents place home owners and their families at serious risk. Find out more about mice in this interesting article. You will be amazed at how quickly they reproduce and the diseases they spread.
Bees and Wasps: Danger Can Be Lurking Underground
Internet gardening forums are peppered with reports of bees, wasps and hornets attacking viciously from underground nests. Quite a few bee and wasp species build their nests underground. Find out what you should know to protect your family from multiple stings and aggressive ground bees.
Mosquitoes and Life Threatening Diseases: What You Should Know
With the east coast of the United States having one of the wettest springs and summers in a while, mosquitoes have emerged this season as more than a nuisance, they are a health concern. Find out what you need to know about mosquitoes and the diseases they can carry and spread.
