Help! There Are So Many Ants Around My McKinney Property

2/15/2023

Seeing an ant or two hurrying across your lawn or even floor is not a cause to worry. Most likely, they're just on their way in search of food or scurrying back to the colony. On the other hand, more than a few can be a sign of an ant nest close by, and that's definitely a problem.

Most ants are harmless, even beneficial but even the most harmless creature will bite if cornered or sat on, and sharing your house or backyard with an ant nest is not much fun, harmless or not.

Let's look at the types of ants you're likely to encounter around your McKinney property, how to discourage them from invading your home, and, if that fails, how to find top-notch pest control in McKinney.

Types Of Ants That Commonly Invade McKinney Homes

You're likely to stumble onto one of the following types of ants in McKinney:

Carpenter ants in McKinney are red, black, or a mix of the two. They are some of the biggest ants in the United States, growing to 5/8 of an inch long, and have a habit of tunneling through dry wood to build nests.
Acrobat ants are light brown to black and up to 1/4 of an inch long. Acrobat ants get their name from their ability to arch their abdomen over their thorax and head when threatened.
Rover ants are pale yellow to black. These ants grow to 1/16 of an inch and have long hairs on their bodies. An invasive South American import, rover ants nest in leaf litter or mulch and feed on honeydew and other insects.
Odorous house ants are black or brown and grow to 1/8 of an inch long. Odorous house ants get their name because they release a smell similar to rotten coconuts when threatened or crushed. Odorous house ants move their nests when it rains and often end up inside a house or outbuilding during the process.

Of over 4000 species of ants, only a few are dangerous, but many will bite when threatened, and ant bites can be very painful.

The Many Problems Ants Can Cause In Your Home

Ants, are more of a nuisance than a threat to you or your McKinney home. They will contaminate the food they can access and bite if sat on or handled, but most will not cause any significant damage. A couple of exemptions from that rule are carpenter ants and fire ants.

A fire ant will inject potent venom when stinging, making the bite excruciatingly painful and might cause an allergic reaction. Carpenter ants tunneling through the dry structural wood of your home can significantly weaken the house frame and result in large repair bills.

What Is Attracting Ants To My Property?

Ants marching towards your property are looking for food (spilled sugary drinks, crumbs, open food containers, etc.), moisture (leaking plumbing and condensation), and warmth. Unsealed garbage, compost piles, or rotting fruits in your orchard are a magnet to ants in the vicinity. Some species of ants also send out flying swarmer ants to establish a new colony. A swarmer deciding that your backyard is a good place to build a home can result in a serious ant problem in a very short time.

How To Get Rid Of Ants In Your Lawn

Ants are notorious for being hard to get rid of, so if you've spotted an anthill in your backyard or an infestation in your home, the best plan is to get a professional on the case. Around the Block Pest Control has been helping with general and organic pest control solutions throughout Northeast Texas for over a decade, and we'll be happy to help you get rid of your McKinney ant problem.

If you're dealing with an ant infestation, get in touch with Around the Block Pest Control today to get started and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in McKinney.

Tags: mckinney pest control | ants in mckinney | ant attractants

Help! There Are So Many Ants Around My McKinney Property

2/15/2023

Seeing an ant or two hurrying across your lawn or even floor is not a cause to worry. Most likely, they're just on their way in search of food or scurrying back to the colony. On the other hand, more than a few can be a sign of an ant nest close by, and that's definitely a problem.

Most ants are harmless, even beneficial but even the most harmless creature will bite if cornered or sat on, and sharing your house or backyard with an ant nest is not much fun, harmless or not.

Let's look at the types of ants you're likely to encounter around your McKinney property, how to discourage them from invading your home, and, if that fails, how to find top-notch pest control in McKinney.

Types Of Ants That Commonly Invade McKinney Homes

You're likely to stumble onto one of the following types of ants in McKinney:

Carpenter ants in McKinney are red, black, or a mix of the two. They are some of the biggest ants in the United States, growing to 5/8 of an inch long, and have a habit of tunneling through dry wood to build nests.
Acrobat ants are light brown to black and up to 1/4 of an inch long. Acrobat ants get their name from their ability to arch their abdomen over their thorax and head when threatened.
Rover ants are pale yellow to black. These ants grow to 1/16 of an inch and have long hairs on their bodies. An invasive South American import, rover ants nest in leaf litter or mulch and feed on honeydew and other insects.
Odorous house ants are black or brown and grow to 1/8 of an inch long. Odorous house ants get their name because they release a smell similar to rotten coconuts when threatened or crushed. Odorous house ants move their nests when it rains and often end up inside a house or outbuilding during the process.

Of over 4000 species of ants, only a few are dangerous, but many will bite when threatened, and ant bites can be very painful.

The Many Problems Ants Can Cause In Your Home

Ants, are more of a nuisance than a threat to you or your McKinney home. They will contaminate the food they can access and bite if sat on or handled, but most will not cause any significant damage. A couple of exemptions from that rule are carpenter ants and fire ants.

A fire ant will inject potent venom when stinging, making the bite excruciatingly painful and might cause an allergic reaction. Carpenter ants tunneling through the dry structural wood of your home can significantly weaken the house frame and result in large repair bills.

What Is Attracting Ants To My Property?

Ants marching towards your property are looking for food (spilled sugary drinks, crumbs, open food containers, etc.), moisture (leaking plumbing and condensation), and warmth. Unsealed garbage, compost piles, or rotting fruits in your orchard are a magnet to ants in the vicinity. Some species of ants also send out flying swarmer ants to establish a new colony. A swarmer deciding that your backyard is a good place to build a home can result in a serious ant problem in a very short time.

How To Get Rid Of Ants In Your Lawn

Ants are notorious for being hard to get rid of, so if you've spotted an anthill in your backyard or an infestation in your home, the best plan is to get a professional on the case. Around the Block Pest Control has been helping with general and organic pest control solutions throughout Northeast Texas for over a decade, and we'll be happy to help you get rid of your McKinney ant problem.

If you're dealing with an ant infestation, get in touch with Around the Block Pest Control today to get started and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in McKinney.

Tags: mckinney pest control | ants in mckinney | ant attractants

Help! There Are So Many Ants Around My McKinney Property

2/15/2023

Seeing an ant or two hurrying across your lawn or even floor is not a cause to worry. Most likely, they're just on their way in search of food or scurrying back to the colony. On the other hand, more than a few can be a sign of an ant nest close by, and that's definitely a problem.

Most ants are harmless, even beneficial but even the most harmless creature will bite if cornered or sat on, and sharing your house or backyard with an ant nest is not much fun, harmless or not.

Let's look at the types of ants you're likely to encounter around your McKinney property, how to discourage them from invading your home, and, if that fails, how to find top-notch pest control in McKinney.

Types Of Ants That Commonly Invade McKinney Homes

You're likely to stumble onto one of the following types of ants in McKinney:

Carpenter ants in McKinney are red, black, or a mix of the two. They are some of the biggest ants in the United States, growing to 5/8 of an inch long, and have a habit of tunneling through dry wood to build nests.
Acrobat ants are light brown to black and up to 1/4 of an inch long. Acrobat ants get their name from their ability to arch their abdomen over their thorax and head when threatened.
Rover ants are pale yellow to black. These ants grow to 1/16 of an inch and have long hairs on their bodies. An invasive South American import, rover ants nest in leaf litter or mulch and feed on honeydew and other insects.
Odorous house ants are black or brown and grow to 1/8 of an inch long. Odorous house ants get their name because they release a smell similar to rotten coconuts when threatened or crushed. Odorous house ants move their nests when it rains and often end up inside a house or outbuilding during the process.

Of over 4000 species of ants, only a few are dangerous, but many will bite when threatened, and ant bites can be very painful.

The Many Problems Ants Can Cause In Your Home

Ants, are more of a nuisance than a threat to you or your McKinney home. They will contaminate the food they can access and bite if sat on or handled, but most will not cause any significant damage. A couple of exemptions from that rule are carpenter ants and fire ants.

A fire ant will inject potent venom when stinging, making the bite excruciatingly painful and might cause an allergic reaction. Carpenter ants tunneling through the dry structural wood of your home can significantly weaken the house frame and result in large repair bills.

What Is Attracting Ants To My Property?

Ants marching towards your property are looking for food (spilled sugary drinks, crumbs, open food containers, etc.), moisture (leaking plumbing and condensation), and warmth. Unsealed garbage, compost piles, or rotting fruits in your orchard are a magnet to ants in the vicinity. Some species of ants also send out flying swarmer ants to establish a new colony. A swarmer deciding that your backyard is a good place to build a home can result in a serious ant problem in a very short time.

How To Get Rid Of Ants In Your Lawn

Ants are notorious for being hard to get rid of, so if you've spotted an anthill in your backyard or an infestation in your home, the best plan is to get a professional on the case. Around the Block Pest Control has been helping with general and organic pest control solutions throughout Northeast Texas for over a decade, and we'll be happy to help you get rid of your McKinney ant problem.

If you're dealing with an ant infestation, get in touch with Around the Block Pest Control today to get started and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in McKinney.

Tags: mckinney pest control | ants in mckinney | ant attractants