Ants are the pest we hear about most in North Texas. Fire ant mounds pop up across the yard after every rain. Tiny sugar ants (pharaoh ants) and odorous house ants march across kitchen counters. Carpenter ants damage wood. The reason they're so common here is the soil. When our heavy clay floods, colonies have to move, and your dry slab and kitchen look like a good place to go.
Signs of an ant problem
Trails of small ants along counters, baseboards or bathroom sinks
Fire ant mounds in the lawn, flower beds or along the sidewalk, especially after rain
Ants coming up through slab cracks, outlets or window frames
Small piles of sawdust-like shavings, which can mean carpenter ants
Winged ants indoors in spring
How we treat ants
1. Identify the species. Pharaoh ants, crazy ants, fire ants, carpenter ants, acrobat ants and odorous house ants all act differently. Spraying the wrong way can make some colonies split into more colonies.
2. Treat inside and out. Our quarterly plan covers ants and odorous house ants, inside and outside the home, including the garage. We treat where ants nest and travel, not just where you see them.
3. Follow up. We come back 30 days after the first service to break up the life cycle, and then every quarter.
4. Free re-treatments. If ants come back between visits on the quarterly plan, we come back too, free.
5. An organic option. We have an organic program on a two-month schedule that uses ingredients such as essential oils and boric acid.
What you can do at home
Wipe up crumbs and sticky spills, and keep sugar, honey and pet food sealed.
Fix dripping faucets and leaks under sinks. Ants need water.
Trim plants and branches so they don't touch the house. They work like bridges.
Don't spray store-bought killers on a sugar ant trail. It can cause the colony to split.
Mark fire ant mounds and keep kids and pets away until they're treated.
More reading from our blog:
Kick pharaoh ants (sugar ants) out of your North Texas kitchen-out-of-your-north-texas-kitchen-with-these-easy-tips)
Ant control FAQ
Why do I see more ants after it rains? Wet clay soil floods their nests, so they move toward higher, drier ground, which is often your house.
Are sugar ants dangerous? They don't sting, but they can get into food and are hard to get rid of without the right approach.
Do you treat fire ants in the yard? Yes. Tell us about the mounds when you request your estimate, and we'll include the yard in your plan.
How quickly will the ants go away? You'll usually see fewer ants within days. Some species take a follow-up visit, and our 30-day follow-up is built in for that.
Get your free estimate
Tell us what you're seeing and we'll take it from there. Request a free estimate, or call (469) 340-0200 (office: Mon–Fri 9am–5pm · service: Mon–Sat 8am–6pm).
Around the Block Pest Control: family-owned and Christian-owned · 8720 Silverado Trail, STE 3B, McKinney, TX 75070 · Serving McKinney, Allen, Plano, Frisco, Prosper and Collin County