Houston Exterminator: Ant Control Services

While ants are beneficial in their natural habitat, these insects can become a nuisance when they invade our homes and create unsightly mounds in our yards. One of the challenges our ant exterminators face is that nearly 300 species of ants call Texas home. Controlling a population depends on locating and eliminating the nests or colonies. So instead of spending your free time researching effective pest control services in Houston, let the ABC Home & Commercial Services experts take care of the problem.

an ABC specialist treating a home for fire ants

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

a crazy ant on a leaf

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

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 ant

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 ant

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:

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.

The ABC Process

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Step 1: Contact ABC

When you contact us, we will schedule an inspection to get an understanding of the problem. In some cases, we can give you a quote over the phone.

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Step 2: Get An Estimate

If you have an inspection, we will send you a custom treatment plan and estimate afterward. Once we get your approval, we will schedule your treatment.

a cockroach
Step 3: Treatment

We will come to your property and treat for pests in common hiding and nesting areas. Over time, you will start seeing less and less pest activity.

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Step 4: Prevention

Customers with our ongoing pest management services will receive periodic retreatments to prevent the return of the most common pests in our area.

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.

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We offer a full range of pest control services.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How soon can you get started?

At ABC, we understand that having an ant problem can be frustrating. Whether you’re tired of seeing these pests in your pantry or you’re on the receiving end of painful bites, our experts can help with your ant problem. Just give us a call or schedule an appointment online and we will put you on our schedule as soon as possible.

What happens after I contact ABC?

When you reach out to ABC, we will either schedule an inspection or provide you with a free estimate over the phone. Normally, we prefer to meet you on your property to assess the problem and create the most effective treatment plan. When our pest control specialists arrive for your appointment, you can expect them to:

  • Ask you questions about where you’ve been seeing ant activity
  • Examine your home for ant nests as well as locate any entry points these pests may have used to gain access to your property
  • If necessary, identify which species of ant is on your property
  • Address any of your questions regarding our pest control protocols

As we finish up the inspection, you will receive an estimate along with our recommended next steps. Upon your approval, we will schedule your first treatment call.

Can’t I just get rid of ants on my own?

While there are sprays and other products available to control ant populations, these treatment products often just kill the ants that you see. To effectively manage ant populations, you need to target the nests, which are most commonly built outdoors with extensive underground tunnels.

Controlling ant populations can be extremely difficult, as some ant queens lay hundreds or even thousands of eggs in a single day. Also, many of the baited products you can buy at home improvement stores are only effective with ants that like sugar. Since many species of ants prefer protein or salty foods, these products often do not work effectively to treat them.

What impact do your products have on my family and the environment?

ABC is a family-owned business, and our top priority is our customers and their families (including your pets). When we research which products to use, we take great care to only select solutions we would use on our own property. In addition, we only use products that are specially formulated for residential use. Your ABC pest control professional will take great care to use the lowest concentration of chemicals while still maintaining an  effective treatment for your ant problem. 

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We offer a full range of pest control services.

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What Our Customers Are Saying

Based on 3039 reviews

Toni Covarrubias

12/8/2023

“So far the service we've been getting is as scheduled. However, this time I was not notified 30 minutes prior to arrival as originally told. The front looks great as usual. The backyard wasn't edged as nice as the front (or at all?), and I really would have appreciated deep edging around our firepit. Addendum 12/8/23: Changed 3 stars to 5 stars for follow-up service! After the above review, I was contacted by ABC in regards to my initial review. Anne was very courteous and eager to send someone out to follow up on my concerns. Arrangements were made that met my schedule, and the crew was very prompt in their arrival on said scheduled date. Our backyard is now 10 times better. Granted, there is still clean up to do on our part, but now it will be so much easier. Certainly worth the subscription price based on customer service alone! Photos depict final work first vs initial service.”

Diane Whitlow

3/8/2024

“I had an ammonia type smell in certain areas of the house along with numerous aggressive flies. I called ABC Home and Commercial Services first thing in the morning. A supervisor stopped at my house on his way into work to locate the problem. He then had a specialized technician-Matt- come by. He went in both attics and found some possible entry points at the roof whirlybird vents. He sealed them up. I have used ABC for years for my rodent exclusion protection on the house and have been very happy with them. I highly recommend their services.”

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