Like just about everywhere else on Planet Earth, here in the Denton, TX area, we’ve got plenty of ant problems to go around. Unlike some other area pests, ants can be a year-round problem. Our winters here in Texas tend to be short and comparatively mild, but also because some ant species can remain active throughout winter by sheltering in climate-controlled human dwellings. Once ants are in, it can be tough to get them out. That means prevention is a key component of your control plan. Let’s talk about how to keep these pests at bay and what to do if they come around.
Common Area Ants
While there are countless ant species around Denton, the three most dangerous species are:
- Carpenter Ants: These large, black ants are not dangerous to people but they can be a huge threat to your property. Like termites, carpenter ants cut through wood to build their nests. Typically, they build their colonies inside dead trees, but they could decide that if your house is good enough for you, it’s good enough for them. If that happens, you could be on the hook for thousands of dollars in damage.
- Fire Ants: Fire ants are infamous for their propensity to swarm like hornets every time any little thing disturbs their nest. If that little thing happens to be you or one of your pets, you could wind up with dozens or hundreds of stings. Most of the time, these stings are just painful and itchy for a few days, but the welts could become infected. And if you’re allergic to insect stings, anaphylaxis is a serious risk with fire ants.
- Pharaoh Ants: Pharaoh ants don’t sting or destroy wood, but they do spread disease. These small, yellowish-brown ants love to infest kitchens and pantries, dragging bacteria like salmonella, staph, and strep along with them. They can also get into medical facilities to infect open wounds and even infest IV lines.
Prevention Tips
With all these dangerous ants in the area, you don’t want an infestation.
Fortunately, there are some things you can do:
- Cover all indoor and outdoor trash cans with well-fitted lids.
- Keep all pantry foods in tightly sealed containers.
- Try to seal possible access points like cracks and holes in your home’s exterior.
- If you find a line of ants, spray vinegar on it to disrupt pheromone trails.
What To Do If You’re Infested
When it comes to ants, there’s good news and bad news. The bad news is ants are tough to get rid of. Their colonies are vast and complex, and some ant species even have multiple nests and queens to preserve their colonies through the loss of one queen. That means sprays and ant baits don’t really work because they often kill some ants and leave others. That’s why it’s common for you to find new ant beds close to the spots where you killed old ones.
The good news is you don’t have to fight the battle against ants alone. Here at Mayco Pest & Termite Control, we offer home pest control and commercial pest control and we take a holistic approach to pest prevention and treatment. Instead of focusing on just treating the immediate problem and maybe some short-term prevention, we’re dedicated to long-term eradication, which is achieved only through customizing our treatment strategies to fit every client’s unique situation. We also stay current on the latest pest control technologies and techniques to make sure none of our customers ever get left behind.