Dr. Alex Smith, biology professor in the College of Biological Science, spoke to CBC News this week about ants and the questions it raises when they appear in food prep areas.

Ants want the same food humans do, Smith said, offering some background on the number of species in Canada, what “non-food friendly” microorganisms they can carry and how to get rid of the unwanted insects among other things.

Smith is a professor in the Department of Integrated Biology whose research focuses on insect species across major ecological gradients in tropical and temperate environments.