Do ants carry disease? When most people think of insects that carry disease they think of roaches, rats, fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and bedbugs. But most no one I have ever met has ever expressed a concern for ants transmitting diseases.

This is due in part because most people don’t understand pathogens or bacterial and viral diseases transmitted by insects, we are all ignorant in what we don’t understand and therefore never give consideration to it, this is normal if its not front page news or a major epidemic like
Dengue Fever, West Nile virus or Ebola most of society goes on about their lives with no regard for these matters.

But when you spend most of your life doing research on pests and diseases talking to entomologist and pathologist you have an advantage over most of society and consider these issues more seriously.

I will give you simple scenario an ant colony infests you home an create a nest in your bathroom since ants need food, water and shelter to live and they can go without food but cannon go without water your bathroom is a perfect place to live.

SO DO ANTS CARRY DISEASES?

Opinions on the answer to this question are all over the place. Some say no, because of ant’s fastidious grooming habits. Taking a look at the literature, ants can an do carry diseases, but it depends on where the colony is ‘working.’ Studies conducted in Brazilian hospitals have shown ants to be an effective mechanical vector (contaminating surfaces) for many different pathogenic microorganisms. They are clearly associated with hospital borne illnesses.

That is the bad news part of the story.  You don’t want to catch a hospital-acquired disease, so stay out of hospitals.  The good news part of my investigation is that I found nothing about ants foraging in your kitchen during the spring, that mentioned anything about carrying infectious diseases. For nuisance ant control, contact the pros at Colonial Pest Control.