General Pest Control
Spiders, crickets, silverfish and stray roaches. Quarterly treatment around the house keeps them outside.
Learn more about general pest »
Signs You Need Ant and Fire Ant Control
- New fluffy dirt mounds after rain, often near sidewalks
- Stings around the ankles while mowing or gardening
- Trails of small dark ants along counters or baseboards
- Ants coming up through slab cracks or around tub drains
- Ants in electrical boxes or AC units
Busy season in Cedar Hill: April to May.
How Fire Ant Control Works
The standard approach in Texas is a two-step method. Step one is a broadcast bait spread across the yard. Worker ants carry it back and feed it to the queen and brood, which reaches colonies you cannot see. Step two is treating individual mounds near sidewalks, play areas or the house where you need them gone fast.
Bait works slowly, usually over days to a few weeks, and it works best when the ground is dry and ants are actively foraging. Rain right after an application can wash it out, so timing matters.
Ants Inside the House
The small dark ants that show up in kitchens after a storm are usually odorous house ants. Crush one and it smells a little like rotten coconut. They nest in wall voids, under slabs and in mulch beds against the house, and they move indoors when rain floods their nests or when the weather turns hot and dry.
Spraying a trail with a household spray breaks the colony into smaller colonies, which makes the problem worse. A technician uses slow-acting baits along the trail so the workers carry it home, and treats the outside where the ants are coming in.
Dealing with fire ants right now?
(469) 286-0478Fire Ant Stings
Fire ant stings leave small white pustules that itch for days. Most people only need to wash the area and avoid scratching. Anyone with trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or a large number of stings should get medical help right away.
Fire Ants and Blackland Clay
Red imported fire ants are everywhere in North Texas, but clay soil changes how they behave. Cedar Hill's clay holds water, so after a big rain the colonies move up to the surface to stay dry. That is why fresh mounds seem to appear overnight after a storm.
When the ground dries and cracks in late summer, fire ants follow the cracks. They also nest along sidewalks, driveways and slab edges, where concrete holds heat and moisture. Mounds against the foundation can lead to ants inside the house through slab cracks.
Homes on bigger lots in the southern part of Cedar Hill and out toward Midlothian deal with heavy fire ant pressure from open land next door. Ants re-colonize a treated yard from the edges, which is why the broadcast bait step matters so much there.
Spring and fall are the best times to treat in Cedar Hill. Ants forage hard when soil temperatures are mild, and they take bait quickly. Midsummer heat drives them deeper and slows feeding, so a July application is less effective.
Ant and Fire Ant Control Questions
Why do fire ant mounds keep coming back?
Treating one mound often kills only that colony while others nearby move in. Broadcast bait across the yard reaches colonies you cannot see.
Is fire ant bait safe for pets?
Fire ant baits are applied at low rates across the lawn. Follow the technician's guidance on keeping pets off the area until it is safe.
Can I just pour boiling water on the mound?
It may kill part of the colony, but the queen is often deep enough to survive. It also kills the grass around it.
Why are ants coming into my kitchen after it rains?
Rain floods outdoor nests, so ants move inside to stay dry. Baiting and treating the outside entry points stops the trail.
Areas We Serve
Ant and fire ant control is available across Cedar Hill and in Duncanville, DeSoto, Lancaster, Grand Prairie, Midlothian, Waxahachie, Oak Cliff, and Mansfield.
