Common Ants in East Texas
Ants are always hunting for food and there are many different species of ants. One ant alone can bring an entire colony into your home. You must find the nest and eliminate the queen in order to rid these pests from your home.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter bore into the wood in your home causing damage. Sometimes they are mistaken for termites. They live in colonies as large as 50,000 workers and are difficult to control.
Carpenter ants feed on a wide variety of foods, especially other insects. The favored food of adults is the sweet honeydew produced by plant-feeding insects, such as aphids, scales, and mealybugs.
Carpenter ants are the most common pest ant seen in homes. The main colony must have a constant source of moisture to survive, so it is usually located in dead wood outside. This includes dead limbs, tree holes, stumps, landscape timbers, and so forth. Indoors, a main colony will have to be associated with a water leak or an overly wet, poorly ventilated crawl space or attic.
Argentine Ants
Argentine ants are very aggressive and will drive out native species of ants creating an environment where they are literally the "king" of the anthill, so to speak.
Their primary food source during the warm months is the sweet honeydew produced by aphids and mealybugs. The presence of fruit trees, roses, and other plants that attract aphids often contributes to Argentine ant infestations.
Argentine ants reside outdoors, usually in shallow nests in the soil beneath a stone, board, or any other item that provides protection. Small, medium, or large subcolonies will locate themselves in piles of lumber, bricks, or debris; in landscape mulch; behind brick and stone veneer; within and under insulation; and in wall voids or any other suitable void.
Fire Ants
Fire ants are very common in east Texas. They are identified by their red bodies, and painful bites. They are usually smaller than carpenter ants, and are very aggressive.
Outdoors, they build a distinctive, large cone-shaped nest. When disturbed, the colony rushes out to attach their sharp jaws on any surface they can hold on to.
Fire ant bites are quite painful, and cause raised welts with itching and burning lasting for several days to a week.
In the hot parts of the summer, they will find any small crack or space to build their nest in to keep cool, including in doors, foundations, cracks in concrete, and more.
Treatments For Ants
One of the key ways that Williams Pest Control can assist in getting rid of an ant infestation is by conducting a thorough inspection of the property. During this inspection, the pest control technicians will identify the species of ants that are present, determine the source of the ant problem, and assess the extent of the infestation. This information is then used to develop a customized treatment plan to eliminate the ants and prevent them from returning.
In addition to eliminating ant infestations, Williams Pest Control also provides ongoing pest control services to help keep homes and buildings free from pests.