Ant Control Services: Houston Exterminator

Ant Extermination: Dealing With Different Types of Ants in Texas 

Here in Houston, we have many species of ants, including rover ants, acrobat ants, pharaoh ants, and leaf-cutting ants. In some cases, termites are mistaken for ants, and vice versa, making getting an ant exterminator expert’s help even more important. 

While we can help you with any ant or pest control you may need, we most commonly get calls regarding the following types of ants:

Crazy Ants

Crazy ants (also known as Raspberry crazy ants or Tawny crazy ants) love sugar and have become a more prevalent pest issue in Houston. You can identify these ants by their hairy bodies and reddish-brown color. As their name implies, these insects don’t move in a straight line—but more of a frantic zig-zag pattern. Because crazy ants prefer warm environments, we find them in switch boxes and near sources of electricity, which can cause short circuits and other electrical problems. Unfortunately, there aren’t any products available to the general public that can effectively exterminate crazy ant infestation, so your best bet is to contact an ant pest control professional to handle the problem.

Fire Ants

These ants are reddish-brown and are known for their painful sting. Fire ants build large mounds outdoors that are usually fairly obvious. However, it is still widespread for a child, adult, or pet to unknowingly disturb an ant mound, leading to a harrowing situation. ABC ant removal technicians recommend applying baits and treatment products to individual ant piles to get the best results. Professional fire ant control is often the desired option for homeowners who do not want to risk getting stung by these creatures.

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are generally giant and can be solid black, brown, or a combination of black and red-orange. These insects are nocturnal and can bite. Carpenter ants don’t consume wood, as termites do. Instead, these destructive pests chew through wood to create large nests inside our homes. Since the signs of a carpenter’s ant infestation and a termite infestation are very similar, it is best to contact an ant control professional.

Odorous House Ants

Odorous house ants are smooth-bodied with relatively few hairs. These insects get their name because they produce a distinctive, licorice-like smell when you squish them. Odorous house ants prefer sweet foods and most commonly nest outdoors. However, these common ants will also nest in wall voids and other interior locations. Due to their tiny size, stopping these ants from getting into your food can be difficult, making exterminating an infestation tough. Successfully resolving an odorous house ant problem can take a few weeks. Typically, our ant removal experts will use specialized baits to get these populations under control.

Prevent Future Ant Infestations

While it can be a challenge to eliminate ants from your environment, the best strategy is to seal up entry points and remove available food sources. In addition, your ABC pest control professional can provide you with customized tips to keep ants away.  

In general, we recommend that homeowners:

• Promptly clean up any spills
• Store food in tightly sealed containers
• Clean out trash bins both indoors and outdoors
• Empty pet food and water bowls when not in use
• Regularly inspect potted plants for ant activity
• Caulk any gaps near windows and doors
• Move vegetation, such as mulch and compost piles, away from the exterior of your home
• Fix leaky pipes and make sure water is draining away from your home
• Keep shrubs and trees trimmed, so they are not touching the exterior of your home
• Kill any scouter ants you find, then wipe down the area where they were traveling

Trying to get rid of an ant infestation on your own can be frustrating. Contact ABC Home & Commercial to get started with a free consultation and ask about getting on a regular treatment plan.

We ask that our ant control customers avoid using reliable cleaners near any bait stations, as these odors can interfere with an ant’s ability to follow pheromone trails. Why is this important? Because these pathways signal to the rest of the colony that there’s a food source nearby. Depending on the extent of your infestation, we may also recommend applying a different treatment product to the nest.

ABC has been providing reliable ant control service across Texas and Florida for generations. Before performing service calls, all ABC ant treatment specialists undergo an in-house training program to provide you with effective and knowledgeable ant control services. Lastly, as a family-run business, one of our values is always to treat your home as if it were our own. That means our technicians undergo an extensive background check to ensure we have the most trusted technicians entering your home during our service calls.