Local ant information

Ant control in Texas

Learn what to look for around your property, explore your city, and ask about an inspection or a quote.

Ants in Texas: what to know

Around Texas

Conditions vary across the state. Choose your city below, then describe what’s happening around your home or business.

Where the trail leads

Look for the rooms and outdoor areas where you regularly notice ants. Food, water, and small openings are useful things to mention when asking for help.

A useful next step

Ask about an inspection, what treatment would involve, and whether follow-up visits are included. You don’t need to know the ant species before getting in touch.

Local research

Ants in Texas: what the public record shows

Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which ants actually live in Texas, when they are busiest, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.

$1.2 billion annually

Estimated annual impact of red imported fire ants in Texas

Damage plus control costs across the state make fire ants the dominant ant expense for Texas homeowners.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

around 1%

Share of population hypersensitive to fire ant venom

Mounds near patios, play areas and pets deserve prompt treatment because a small share of people react severely.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Late August through early October

Ideal fall bait window

Fall baiting while ants are still foraging produces fewer mounds the next spring.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Ant species recorded in Texas

Red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) — Reddish-brown stinging ant that builds hard dome mounds up to 18–24 inches high; APHIS lists infestations in AL, AR, CA, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA and Puerto Rico.…
Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) — The most common ant in and around California homes and one of the most common nuisance ants in the southeastern U.S.; forms huge multi-queen colonies in mulch, leaf litter and u…
Tawny crazy ant (Nylanderia fulva) — Non-stinging but extremely numerous invasive ant detected in Texas in 2002, Mississippi in 2009 (still limited to three coastal counties), and Georgia in August 2013; reported i…
Ghost ant (Tapinoma melanocephalum) — Tiny (1.3–1.5 mm) tramp ant with dark head and pale abdomen; established in Florida (mostly Sarasota to Orlando and south, north to Alachua and Duval counties) and Hawaii, reach…

When ants are busiest in Texas

Fire ant mating and foraging peak in spring and fall at 70–95 °F; broadcast bait late August through early October for fewer mounds next spring (Clemson HGIC; Texas A&M).

Federal fire ant quarantine covers Texas (APHIS). Tawny crazy ants were detected in Texas in 2002 (Mississippi State) and ghost ants reached Texas in 1994 or 1995 (UF/IFAS). TDA's Structural Pest Control Service licenses pest management professionals who apply pesticides in and around structures.

Rules that apply in Texas

Structural Pest Control Service (Texas Department of Agriculture)

For context, nationally

more than 367 million acres — Acres infested by imported fire ants. USDA APHIS
Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Puerto Rico — States and territories with imported fire ant infestations (APHIS). USDA APHIS

Sources: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension; Imported Fire Ants; Argentine Ants (Circular 926); Tawny Crazy Ant (Circular 1064); Ghost Ant, Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius). Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources

Explore Texas cities

Abilene

Humid Subtropical · suburban setting

Ant control in Texas

Ants in Texas: what to know

Around Texas

Where the trail leads

A useful next step

Ants in Texas: what the public record shows

Ant species recorded in Texas

When ants are busiest in Texas

Rules that apply in Texas

For context, nationally

Explore Texas cities

Abilene

Amarillo

Arlington

Austin

Brownsville

Carrollton

Corpus Christi

Dallas

Denton

El Paso

Fort Worth

Frisco

Garland

Galveston

Odessa

Houston

San Antonio

Plano

Laredo

Lubbock

Ask about ant control in Texas