Ants may be little, but they work together to create big problems. Learning how to identify the most common ants and their mounds in Austin is the quickest way to manage them and prevent a messy infestation.
Before attempting to treat the problem, take a good look at the ants, then watch their behavior around their nesting site. How do they interact? How do they exit and enter the nest? What color are the ants?
If you’ve noticed ants around your home or office in Austin, call Stampede Pest Control to schedule speedy and effective service. If calling isn’t an option, contact us through our website and attach a picture of the problem so we can serve your pest control needs.
Common Ants in Austin
Ants are all over the United States, with certain species more commonly making their homes in the Austin area. The small pests come in several sizes and colors with unique nesting and feeding behaviors. Knowing what ants you have makes it easier to remove them.
Acrobat Ants
Acrobat ants make their nest in moist areas near water damage. You can find them around doors, windows, baseboards, and walls.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants live within the walls of the homes they’ve infested. The signs you have carpenter ants include small piles of sawdust near window sills or other wood trim, rustling noises from inside the walls, ant trails, and frass – a sawdust mixture of wood, saliva, and ant waste.
Fire Ants
Fire ants live in mounds. The quickest way to identify their mounds is by the lack of a hole at the top. These pesky ants move toward spilled food, especially sweet or fatty foods and pet food.
Little Black Ants
Like carpenter ants, little black ants live in the walls of your home, so you won’t see mounds. You’ll see these little ants moving in trails toward crumbs and other food sources.
Odorous House Ants
Odorous house ants don’t have visible mounds. They make their nests under rocks or floss and will move them when threatened.
Pharaoh Ants
Tiny pharaoh ants also live in cracks and crevices in your home, so you won’t see a mound or a nest.
Red Imported Fire Ants
These ants build mounds, but you won’t see a visible opening. They will attack when provoked, and they have a painful sting.
Rover Ants
Rover ants live in rotten areas around your home’s foundation, under piles of leaves, plants, and rotting wood.
How to Get Rid of the Most Common Ants in Austin, TX
Homeowners have two solutions to remove ants from their homes in Austin, Texas. The first is to make your home less attractive to hungry ants. The second is to limit access to your home.
Make Your Home Less Attractive to Ants
Ants look for food, water, and shelter. If they find it in and around your home, they will move their nests to have consistent access to these things. You can make your home less attractive by:
- Storing food in airtight containers or the refrigerator
- Trimming vegetation away from the perimeter of your home
- Reducing water sources like clogged gutters and dripping faucets.
- Cleaning up pet dishes.
- Not over-watering your lawn.
- Removing mulch from near your home.
Make Your Home Less Accessible to Ants
Ants look for food, water, and shelter. Human homes provide what ants need, so they build nests where predators cannot find them. With a few simple steps, you can close off entrances and keep ants outside.
- Seal the exterior cracks, gaps, and holes around your foundation with waterproof caulk.
- Add and maintain weather stripping around windows and doors.
- Install or repair window and door screens.
Targeted Ant Control & Extermination by Stampede Pest Control
Ants might not seem like a problem because of their small size, but they destroy homes and create a health hazard as many spread bacteria. Ants can attract other pests, and some emit awful-smelling odors. Some ants will bite people and pets.
Understanding what kind of ants and mounds you see can make it easier to assess the problem. For a free inspection and quote around Austin and Keller, Texas, call Stampede Pest Control.