How Ant Infestations In McKinney Start  

3/15/2021

The year-round warm temperatures in Texas allow ants to thrive any time of year. Although most ants are considered nuisance pests, meaning they won’t cause any health hazards or structural damage to your home, none are a welcome sight in any home. In McKinney, Texas, three species are common: carpenter ants, fire ants, and sugar ants. 

Identifying Common Ants In McKinney

The three species of ants common in McKinney, Texas, act differently and can cause different problems for you and your home.

Carpenter ants are most known for their destructive nature. This species tunnels through wood to create nests. Ultimately, this weakens wood and can cause significant damage to the structure of your home. To identify carpenter ants, look for the following:

• Color- most often black, can also be a combination of brown, black, red, and yellow.

• Mandibles- workers have large mandibles that allow them to chew through wood

• Length- about ½ an inch long

Fire ants get their name from the burning sting they inflict when they attack their victims. By victims, I am referring to any person or animal that disturbs their nests. Because of their aggressive nature, fire ants can be dangerous on your property, especially if they make it into your home. Description of fire ants:

• Color- dark reddish-brown

• Length- about ¼ inch long

• Mandibles- they use their mandibles to bite and hold on when stinging a victim.

Sugar ants are not a specific type of ant, but rather an umbrella term that covers multiple small species of ants. Commonly, sugar ants refer to pharaoh ants, which can transfer bacteria to you or your household members, causing you to get sick. Because pharaoh ants are the most common of sugar ants in McKinney, Texas, it is helpful to be able to identify them:

• Color- light yellow with brown or red markings on the abdomen

• Length- smaller than 1/8 inch

• Mandible- no mandible

What Attracts Ants To Your Texas Home?

The most common reason any pest will infest your home is for access to food and water. Ants are especially attracted to sweet foods such as candy, honey, and fruits. If one ant stumbles across a food source, they take it back to their colony and, in turn, lead more workers to the source. Once food and water are brought back to the colony, it is stored for future use rather than consumed right away. A common source of water that attracts ants is leaking pipes.
 
Because of their size, it is not difficult for ants to get inside homes. The following are ways in which ants may sneak into your home:

• Cracks where walls meet the floor

• Spaces around door and window frames

• Gaps in foundations 

• Through open windows or doors

How To Prevent Ants In Your Home

Because of their small size, ants can be challenging to prevent. However, you can do things around your home to reduce the factors that attract ants and minimize the possibility of an infestation.

• Seal up any cracks or spaces between flooring and framing around windows and doors.

• Make sure all screens and door sweeps are in proper working condition.

• Close doors and windows that don’t have proper screens when not in use.

• Use airtight containers to store food and makes sure to clean up crumbs and spills.

• Store trash correctly in closed containers.

• Fix any leaking pipes and roof leaks.

The Best Way To Deal With An Ant Infestation

An ant infestation can be overwhelming due to the number of ants in a colony. The good news is, professionals from Around The Block Pest Control are available at the click of a button for all your pest needs. There is sure to be a plan that suits you and your home with residential pest control offerings. Contact us today to rid your McKinney, Texas home of ants and other pests.

Tags: ants | pest prevention | home pest control