The Key To Completely Eradicate The Ant Population In Your Plano Home

Are there some things that you want to eradicate from your life? You may have a habit of leaving clothes on the floor, and you have got to start putting up your clothes before someone trips on them and gets hurt. Perhaps you've been procrastinating cleaning your garage, but you should remove the junk so rodents and pests can't use the area as a haven. We all need to do a little "spring cleaning" at home to make life easier and safer. 

While we may procrastinate cleaning the house, we should act when we see pests. Ants crawling along baseboards, around the bathtub, or streaming into the garage indicates a need for pest control ant treatment for your home. 

When you notice ants inside your Plano home, you need pest control in Plano from All-Safe Pest & Termite. Our independent company began over 30 years ago out of the desire to provide low-toxicity pest control to protect the community and environment. Thousands of five-star reviews and numerous community awards from our customers and local businesses prove our commitment to quality service.

We want to serve you by providing the information you need for a pest-free house. Please keep reading to learn about ants that commonly invade Plano homes and what you can do to remove them permanently.

Species Of Ants That Commonly Invade Plano Homes

There are thousands of ant species worldwide, but fortunately, they are not all a problem for Plano residents. Of the many species, only the following seven are cause for concern: 

• Acrobat ants
• Carpenter ants
• Crazy ants
• Fire ants
• Ghost ants
• Pharaoh ants
• Rover ants

To help you identify the ant species invading your house, we will examine the characteristics of each one, but first, let's get a general description of all ants. 

Ants are insects. As insects, ants have a pair of antennae, compound eyes, six legs, an exterior skeleton, a body with a head, thorax, and abdomen, and some have wings. You may have been surprised to read that ants have wings because most of us picture them moving on the ground next to a sidewalk or driveway, but some ants have wings for a short time. 

Ants are social creatures that live in colonies. Each nest has a queen or multiple queens, sterile female workers, males (drones), and reproductive winged termites. In the early spring, after a heavy rain, reproductive ants will glide on the warm air currents and search for new nesting areas. If they survive predators, the weather, and the trip, a male and female will mate, lose their wings, and begin a new colony. Not all ants form new nests this way. Some of the ants on our list create satellite groups through budding. In those instances, a queen leaves the nest with a small entourage forming a new nest nearby.

Now that we know the overall characteristics and how they form new colonies, let's look at each of the seven ants that plague many Plano homes. 

Acrobat ants have a 1/8 inch light brown to black body. When viewed from above, the back third of an acrobat ant (the abdomen) looks like a heart. When an acrobat ant feels threatened, it raises its backend over its head, which makes it appear to be doing a handstand. 

One of the more giant ants in our group, the carpenter ant, has a 1/2 to 5/8 inch red, brown, or black body, or its body may have a red and black combination. Of the ants on our list, this ant causes physical destruction to homes. 

Crazy ants earned their name due to their erratic running pattern. These 1/16 to 1/8 inch ants have a dark brown to black body with a grey sheen. Long legs and antennae are other features of these ants. 

What carpenter ants are to buildings, fire ants are to people and animals, dangerous. Sporting a 1/8 to 3/8 inch dark reddish brown body, these ants create large two to four feet domed or flat irregular nests outdoors along sidewalks, foundations, landscaping, and mulch where the soil is warmer. 

Ghost ants in your house may be a nuisance, but they shouldn't scare you. The front part of their 1/16 inch bodies (head and thorax) is dark brown, but the back section (abdomen) and legs are pale yellow, hence the name. 

Once thought to have been associated with the biblical plagues in Egypt, pharaoh ants have a 1/16 inch pale yellow or reddish head and thorax with a darker abdomen. Although occasionally infesting houses, they are more problematic for commercial properties, particularly hospitals.

The long hair on its body makes the rover ant look like it needs a haircut. These 1/16-inch ants come in body colors ranging from dark brown and black to pale yellow. Although they tend to reside in mulch and leaf litter, these ants occasionally invade Plano houses. 

No matter what type of ant infests your house, you can count on ant control near you from All-Safe Pest & Termite. Our trained technicians can identify the ant species infesting your home and create the appropriate treatment to eradicate it. 

Are Ants In The House A Big Deal?

Yes, ants in your house are a big deal! Although they may appear harmless, ants contaminate surfaces and food products throughout the house. Ants forage for food in open garbage containers, animal feces, and in other unsanitary areas. While they search for organic matter to eat, bacteria lying on the tainted surfaces stick to their feet. When the ants move through a house, the bacteria transfer and contaminate areas in the home. 

Food pollution from ants can be the least of your worries when you consider how carpenter ants harm the physical structure of a house. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood for nutrition, but they shear away wood chunks to create smooth tunnels deep into damp, fungus-ridden wood for nests. Destruction from carpenter ants is not swift, but years of creating tunnels weaken the wood resulting in sagging floors, ceilings, and collapsing structures. 

An infestation of carpenter ants eventually damages the structure, but acrobat ants can burn the whole place down! When not entertaining, they may be stripping insulation from electrical wiring. When live, bare wires touch, the result may be short circuits or sparks igniting nearby insulation. 

Ants that cause physical harm are fire ants and acrobat ants. When a fire ant mound is disturbed, worker ants quickly swarm the perpetrator and retaliate with multiple venom-filled stings. The attack causes painful, pustule-filled blisters, which take several days to heal. Individuals with hypersensitivity may experience anaphylaxis resulting in life-threatening breathing difficulties, dizziness, fainting, and fever. 

Although not as prevalent in homes as in hospitals, pharaoh ants can spread diseases like salmonellosis and streptococcus. These ants transmit pathogens when walking over open wounds and infiltrating IV tubes. 

All-Safe Pest & Termite is the best pest control company for ants in Plano. Our decades of experience have given us the tools and knowledge to solve your ant problems. 

What's Attracting Ants To My House?

Ants come to your house seeking food, water, and shelter. If they find food and water, shelter won't be a problem. Most ants prefer to live in moist areas around leaking pipes, bathtubs, drains, crawl spaces, or basements. 

Ants are omnivores, which means they will eat practically anything. Many have a sweet tooth but also enjoy animal protein. Crumbs in corners, around garbage cans, and in eating areas attract ants. Avoid allowing dirty dishes to remain in the sink overnight. Also, remove pet food from bowls before going to bed. When a few ants find food, they deposit pheromones on the trail. These chemical trails lead additional ants inside the home to the food source. 

Once ants have found food and water sources, they will create nests in wall voids, underneath insulation, potted plant soil, and other locations within a house. 

When you contact the ant control service near your home, All-Safe Pest & Termite, a friendly technician will inspect your home for ants. During the investigation, they will note entry points and attractions into your home.  

How Can I Get Rid Of Ants In Plano Permanently?

Ants are necessary for the balance of our ecosystem, so we don't want to rid the world of ants. However, we want to ensure they stay out of our Plano homes. The first step for ant pest control in your Plano home is to secure All-Safe Pest & Termite. 

We will inspect your house for attractants, entry points, and infestation hot spots. Upon completing our investigation and listening to your concerns, we will create a custom treatment plan using products with low toxicity for effective ant control.

We will remove the ant problem from your Plano home; however, they are traveling around your house in the yard. So, in addition to our removal services, here are prevention steps that stop a future infestation before it occurs:

• Vacuum floors regularly
• Store food in sealed containers
• Wipe down countertops and eating areas after each use
• Seal cracks and gaps in the foundation
• Keep indoor and outdoor garbage containers closed
• Repair leaky pipes

Our technician can provide you with other tips during the treatment process. Contact us today to learn more and get your free estimate.