You would be hard pressed to find a spot on the earth that doesn’t have ants. With more than 12,000 species identified, it’s not hard to see why. Ants are colonial insects and gather together in colonies that can be a few predatory ants or can number in the millions. If you live in Austin, TX, there are many ants you’re likely to see crawling around. A-Tex Pest Management list common species of ants found in Texas.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are reddish black in color and 5/8 inch in size. They like to chew out their tunnels in old wood. This can be the wood in our homes! They don’t eat the wood they tunnel through but can still cause damage. The cost of damage to your home will depend on the number of nests and how long they have been active. They will build nests in damaged wood or in wood with cracks or holes in it. They will also crawl on tree branches or shrubs that are touching a structure. Carpenter ants are drawn to moisture, so the best way to keep them away is to get rid of standing water and take care of moisture issues.
Odorous Ants
These ants will show up within hours of food being left out. They are dark brown to black in color and look like carpenter ants but are only 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch in size. They prefer sweet food but will eat dead insects and other proteins. They will make homes in soil that is exposed and will nest in wall voids and under your home. They aren’t known to cause structural damage but can contaminate food. If they are crushed, they will give off a smell of rotten coconut. This is the reason they are called odorous ants. They are more likely to make their way into our homes when it is rainy out.
Pavements Ants
Pavement ants are darkish brown to black in color and are 1/8 inch in size. These ants are the ones that you’ll see the most inside you home. They will feed on proteins, sweets, greasy foods and dead insects. They are called pavement ants because the like to build nests in cracks in pavement. They can easily infest a home if they can find cracks and crevices to get through. They don’t pose any health risk but can contaminate food after they have crawled all over garage and rotting animal carcasses.
Ant Pest Inspections, Treatment, Control, Removal & More in Austin, Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville & Cedar Park Texas
The best way to avoid ant problems is to keep them out of your home in the first. If you’re finding more ants than you’d like it can be very hard to get a handle on them once they’ve infested your home. You will need to kill the entire colony, or you will continue to have problems. Spraying a trail of ants that have entered your home will only kill those ants and not the rest of them. You need to get the entire colony for success. For professional help contact A-Tex Pest Management today.