Ants inside the climate building!

[unclelourocks]

I just need to vent first!! Thank you in advance

Hey guys..hoping you can help me out here. Recently had a tenant come in and complain about ants in her unit. My relief manager was here that day and the lady said she didn't have time for us to spray in there. (when I heard that I figured it must have just been a few..she wasn't concerned about it) We checked all the units around her that were empty and no sign of ants. She said she would come back later and we could spray then. A week later (again my relief manager is here) she comes back and her boyfriend sprays the unit. (we provided the spray) So come the 7th of the month she comes back and pays her rent..goes back to her unit and finds there are still ants. She tells my relief manager she came the other day and waited an hour for one of us to come out and spray the unit. Which is a lie she never came! I even have the records from falcon. So she has moved out (yesterday) and was given my bosses number to complain.
What could I have done differently?
The tenant next to her is coming soon so we can check.
Can I bug bomb the hall way? And if so do I need to notify the tenants in that hall?

thanks for your help!
Lou G

PS..not new here just made a different user name.

[eileen]

I had that happen last summer. A customer found an ant hill in her climate controlled space. Finding the source is always best to getting rid of any pest problems but that's not always easy in a storage facility because of all the "stuff" in your way.

When you can't find the source, all you can really do is what you did do. Spray for pests or offer to move them to another unit if you can't get it under control.

You might want to see if there is an ant problem in the unit now before notifying other customers, because it could have been a problem created by the customer having some type of food stored in the unit.

[unclelourocks]

Well the tenant came and we found no ants in her unit. I put down some ant granules any way just in case. Also put a whole lot in the unit that was vacated. I didn't see any live ants, a few dead ones. I hope that solves any issues.

[Sandra]

We Spray all vacant units and halls once a month(I know that seems like a ton but it works)I also bomb the halls once every two months after hours. So I do not notify the tenants I simply walk through making sure no one is remaining on the propery and then I bomb the halls. This works out much better if you are ceratin that you have no one with 24 hour access. Another thought would be to treat the outer perimeter with ant spray/grannuals becasue they are after all coming from the outside in in most cases anyway. You can always run into that tenant who brings the pest in with their contents. I like to spray one last time before the tenant (rught before ) brings their things in to help insure that we are killing what ever might be along for the ride.

[Willar]

If someone comes in with a mouse or ant problem we always use the same approach: "Wow, we NEVER have that problem, you must have accidentally brought them in with you!" Then we spray and bait for the problem. Of course, we spray and bait between every customer too.

No, you don't need to notify before treating or bug bombing, but you might want to put a sign on the door for a few hours. Your lease should state that when you post a notice at the office that serves as official notice to tenants.

[khall50]

manager in Apache Junction, AZ

Wow I have found the best solution for ants and it is so simple ... Get some Raid Ant Baits .. You can find them in any grocery store and they are not messy either .. you get and 8 count pack and just drop them on the ground where you see ants and they cant keep out of it .. the ants take the bait back to the main place and it kills the whole colony . Done. and if you see them outside and it isn't raining it will kill them too , we haven't had any for 3 yrs now .. and if I see anything I just drop one on the mound or near it and in as little as 1-3 days Gone... Yep that's the trick .. and cheap too

[Duckrenter]

Pest control

Hello all you good looking fellow managers. I know you are all good looking, because I am! .
I have been managing this facility since it's inception in 1994. We have used a Pest Control Company each and every month, they spray the door ways of each unit, as well as maintaing the bait boxes they have installed all along the perimiter. We have never had an ant problem, in over fifteen years. We do however, find dead mice(the only good kind) every once in a while. I realize that it might be quiet expensive to spray some of the larger complexes,( we only have 273 units) but we feel that it is well worth it.No ants, no roches sure makes for a nicer life. We also use the fact that we have an ongoing pest and rodent control program in our advertising. I hope this might help some of you.
Have a great up-coming summer.

Duckrenter

[khall50]

manager in Apche junction, AZ

Thank you , but as almost all of us do on going pest control thru a company that sprays the entire facility each month , plus spraying each unit before and after every tenant..
but When you live in the desert as we do critters migrate all the time and so when they move in , you have to keep on top of it ..
We don't have to have bait boxes because we don't have problems with mice or rats... we remind tenants not to store and food items.. and point it out on the rules....
And ants move their colonies every so often because of rain or lack of food... so that is why we are offering solutions for her problem ...

[Duckrenter]

Sorry, I did not mean to insult anyone by implying that we are the only facility that sprays each month. Just trying to be helpful to some one who might be new at the game. I'm sure that things are different in the desert.

Duckrenter

[unclelourocks]

I honestly do think this lady brought the ants with her! We didn't have an issue before she came. I put down the ant granuals and it seems to have done the job. Thank you for the advice on bug bombing the hall. My wife keeps telling me we can't bomb the hall. She says the stuff will get on their belongings and they wouldn't even know. But I think if they issue is fixed won't need to bomb right now.
Thanks everyone
Lou

[Autodoc]

You must use caution with any of these chemicals -- we have many tenants that that have allergies and other breathing problems.

[khall50]

manager in Apache Junction , AZ

Your wife is correct, you shouldn't bomb the hallways.. Some people are very sensative to pest control ,,, we always ask the tenant before we spray the unit before they move in ... " Is anyone allergic to bug spray?" ... and as far a the granuales, I would be careful there too. Small children my mistake it for candy, and put it in their mouths ... I speak form experience. My son did just that when he was 4 and we had to have his stomach pumped, all because my mother in law wouldnt let me sweep it up while we were there visiting .. Lesson learned ,,, and never again do we put anything that might be mistaken for anything but pest control .. That is why we use the Ant Baits if we ever have a problem .. and if a child should accidentlly pick it up no harm done as it is contained in a throw away dispenser.. and it kills the whole colony. inside or outside works great..

[unclelourocks]

We only put the granuals in the empty unit and in the unit next door. She gave us permission to do so. Ok I wont bomb the hall..but shhhhh don't tell my wife she was right! LOL

[BigJ]

One thing to watch out for aswell is tenants bringing their dog to the facility with them. I have rodent poison in certain places of the facility as an extra precaution and I make sure to tell the tenants that it is around and if you have a small dog and it sniffs some out and decides to eat it the dog will get sick at the least. Not sure what ant poison would do to a small dog though, but I find many people carrying around little dogs like accessories these days.