Hospital Forced to Cancel Surgeries After Being ‘Overrun by Ants’

A small Canadian hospital is battling one of the strangest medical disruptions imaginable after an army of ants invaded the building and forced surgeries to be canceled indefinitely.

Officials at Carman Memorial Hospital confirmed that at least 16 elective surgeries have already been postponed or moved to other facilities after the insects infiltrated areas requiring sterile conditions. The hospital sits in the tiny town of Carman, about 50 miles southwest of Winnipeg.

According to health officials, the creepy crawlers haven’t affected emergency care or regular hospital services — but operating rooms are another story entirely. Procedures including hernia repairs and gallbladder removals have been delayed while exterminators race to stop the bugs from spreading.

The insects are believed to be pavement ants, a stubborn species known for building colonies near sidewalks, foundations, and buildings. Officials say the ants have now returned for the third straight year, turning what was once considered a temporary nuisance into a full-blown recurring nightmare.

Southern Health Authority said the ants first appeared back in 2024 and mysteriously vanished after a few weeks. They returned the following summer, and now they’re back again this spring — only this time, the problem has become impossible to ignore.

Crews have already inspected drains, sealed cracks, laid bait traps, and covered parts of the hospital with sticky tape in an attempt to track where the insects are entering. Officials believe a colony may be located somewhere near the hospital grounds.

Despite the alarming headlines, health authorities insist there is currently no danger to patients, staff, or the building itself. Emergency surgeries will instead be redirected to nearby hospitals until the issue is resolved.

Still, experts warn that getting rid of pavement ants for good may not be easy.

Retired entomology professor Rob Higgins told CBC he’s “not aware of many places that have successfully permanently dealt with pavement ants.”

That’s not exactly the kind of diagnosis anyone wants to hear when bugs are already marching through a hospital.