Key takeaways
- Identify the ant first, because the species decides where the nest is and what works.
- Colonies move indoors when weather turns very hot and dry or very wet, or when food and water run short outside.
- Spraying trails can split a colony. Remove food, water and entry points, and look for the nest.
- Sawdust-like debris and damp wood point to carpenter ants, which are worth a professional's eye.
Why ants come indoors
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension says ants enter homes to find food and water or a place to nest. Colonies may move indoors when the weather turns abnormally hot and dry or very wet, or when food and water run short outside. Foragers of some species lay scent trails that lead other workers to food and water, which is why a single ant can quickly become a line.
Both patterns are familiar in the Panhandle. Summer highs average in the low 90s and humidity is low, yet three-fourths of Amarillo's average 19.71 inches of yearly precipitation falls from April through September, mostly in thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service.
Which ant is it?
Texas A&M's household ant guide covers many species, and what works depends on where each one nests and what it eats. Some species want sweets, while others prefer grease or protein. Watch the trail for a few days, noting what the ants are eating, whether they have wings and whether they are more active after dark. Ants often travel along building edges, landscape bed borders, wires, fences, hoses and plumbing. Three clues help sort them:
- Small trail-makers, such as odorous house ants, little black ants and tramp ants, are tiny workers that follow scent trails to sweets, grease or meat. They nest under stones and boards, in soil near sidewalks or in walls.
- Carpenter ants are larger, about a quarter to a half inch, often black or reddish with a pinched waist and elbowed antennae. They nest in dead or damp wood, excavating it rather than eating it, and tunneling into structural wood is rare with the species found in Texas.
- Winged ants indoors usually mean a colony is nesting inside the house, while winged ants swarming around outdoor lights are usually not a concern.
What to do yourself, and what not to
Texas A&M is direct about one common habit: insecticide sprayed on ant trails kills only a few foraging workers, does not eliminate the colony and can make the problem worse by splitting it into several colonies. Removing what draws ants works better.
- Wipe up spills and keep food in tightly sealed containers.
- Repair dripping faucets and plumbing leaks, and replace wet or rotten wood.
- Pull mulch and landscape rock back from the foundation, because they keep the soil moist.
- Caulk cracks, replace worn weatherstripping and clean out clogged gutters.
- Control insects that leave sticky honeydew on plants near the house, since ants feed on it.
- Trim vegetation and tree limbs that touch the house or roof, since ants use them as bridges, and store firewood away from the house.
- Follow the trails to see where ants enter. Finding the nest matters more than killing the ants you can see.
Carpenter ants: sawdust and moisture
Look for small piles of sawdust-like debris, called frass, mixed with dead ant parts beneath small openings in wood, and for large ants near damp window frames, doors and walls. Carpenter ants favor moist or decaying wood, so a leak is often part of the story, and fixing it is part of the solution.
Because carpenter ants can keep satellite colonies apart from the main nest, Texas A&M says professional help may be important.
When to call a professional
Call for help if trails return after you clean and seal, if you suspect a nest inside a wall or under a slab, or if you see carpenter ants or winged ants indoors. Texas A&M notes that reaching a nest can require drilling into wood or wall voids, and that several kinds of ants keep more than one nest. Colonies also do not stay put: entire colonies can move from one nesting site to another almost overnight, which is why treating the nest works better than chasing the ants you see.
Some colonies take time to resolve. Texas A&M notes that eliminating certain colonies can take three to four weeks or more, so a single visit is not always the end of the story. It also notes that indoor treatment can matter in winter, when outdoor treatment is less effective.
How the Home Protection Plan fits
Our Home Protection Plan covers non-wood-boring ants with year-round visits about every two months, and carpenter ants are available as a plan add-on. Tell us which ant you are seeing when you request a free quote, along with where you find the trails.
Sources
This guide is general information for homeowners in the Texas Panhandle, drawn from the sources listed with each guide. It is not medical advice and does not replace product labels, your doctor, the Texas Department of State Health Services or Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. If you think you have been bitten, stung or exposed to a pesticide, call your doctor or the Texas Poison Center Network at 1-800-222-1222. Pest activity varies by property and season.
