Ants are one of the most common pests in Dallas. They can enter homes through tiny cracks in foundations, siding, and screens to find food, water, and shelter.
When they enter homes, they congregate near food and water. You might see them in your kitchen, living areas, and in protected places under appliances and floorboards.
List of the Common Ants in Dallas
All ants have the same bodies with a head, thorax, and abdomen.
Acrobat Ants
This species has a heart-shaped abdomen that they lift above their heads when threatened. They are small with a reddish-brown color and have an unpleasant odor. They nest in wood piles, damp areas behind siding, and other moist, rotting areas that other insects have damaged. They enter homes through utility lines and pipes and on trees and shrubs that touch homes.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are the largest ants in the Dallas area – usually about an inch long. They tend to be black, but some have reddish or yellow coloring. You’ll notice their large mandibles. While they don’t eat wood as termites do, they use their mandibles to remove it from their nests.
You’ll notice piles of chewed wood near carpenter ant nests. Carpenter ants prefer to eat sugar and savory food.
Crazy Ants
Crazy ants are small and dark brown. They have a pair of long antennas with 12 segments. Their long legs give them an unusual appearance compared to other ants. The omnivorous ants eat other insects, sweet plant secretions, grease, liquids, and seeds.
They live in rotted wood, under trash, and in homes. They cannot survive extremely cold temperatures, so they move into homes in Dallas when the temperatures drop.
Crazy ants are challenging to exterminate because they travel far from their nests.
Fire Ants
Fire ants are small, like crazy ants, but are red. They like warm, sunny locations where they build mounds with hundreds of thousands of ants and at least one queen. When attacked, they have a painful sting that emits a venom with a burning sensation. They eat anything, and most fire ants live about 30 days. Fire ants are dangerous to humans because of their painful stings.
Odorous House Ants
This species is small, brown or black, and hairless. It has an uneven thorax and smells like rotten coconut when crushed. They’ll move into wall voids, under carpet, and behind paneling especially when the weather becomes rainy. They travel in trails to find food and return it to their nests. One colony can have over 100,000 workers with at least two queens.
Pharaoh Ants
Pharaoh ants are one of the smallest on this list. They are yellowish-brown with 12-segmented antennae. They prefer to live in warm places near food, so you might see them in your kitchen on floorboards, refrigerator insulation, and any hollowed-out space. They prefer sweet foods, and most only live about 38 days.
Rover Ants
This species of ant is the smallest on this list. They range in color from yellow to dark brown. Rover ants have antennae with nine segments and a hump-like thorax. They prefer to live outside, but move into homes around bricks and stones.
Effective Ant Prevention in Dallas, TX
Because ants are persistent, they can be tough to eliminate on your own. The pest experts at Romney Pest Control can help you identify and eliminate ants in and around your home with affordable, effective, and long-lasting ant control services. Contact Romney Pest Control today!
