Austin, TX and 25 more cities
Ant control
Fire ants, carpenter ants, sugar ants. We kill the colony, not the conga line.
Quick answers
Ant control in Central Texas: the quick facts
Fire ants are the main ant problem in Central Texas, and they peak twice: April to May, then September to October. Ant control is included in the general pest plan from $66 a month. Treating the mound you can see rarely settles it, because the colony runs deeper and wider than the surface shows.
- Most common
- Red imported fire ant
- Dome mounds in the lawn, worst in the weeks after spring rain.
- Peak months
- Apr-May, Sep-Oct
- July and August look quiet because heat drives them deep, not away.
- Included in
- The $66/mo plan
- Ants ride on the general pest plan, with free re-treatments between visits.
- Best baiting window
- Late Aug to mid-Oct
- Texas A&M AgriLife rates this and spring as the two best windows.
Written by the Bastion Pest Control service team · Licensed & insured in Texas · Last updated
Ants in Central Texas.
Texas ants do not quit. Fire ants annex the yard, carpenter ants quietly renovate your trim, and sugar ants march into the kitchen like they pay rent.
Spraying the trail kills a few hundred workers and the colony simply reroutes around the mess. We go after the colony itself, which is the only version that actually ends. Found winged ones on a windowsill? First check they are ants at all, with our guide to telling termite swarmers from flying ants.
Seasonal pattern
What months are fire ants worst in Central Texas?
Fire ants do not follow one tidy curve across the Austin metro. They surge twice a year. Spring rain collapses their tunnels and pushes mounds up everywhere at once, high summer drives them deep out of sight, then fall brings them straight back. Two peaks, and one very misleading gap in the middle.
- First peak
- April & May
- Wet ground wrecks the tunnels and the colony surfaces to rebuild. Suddenly the mounds are impossible to miss.
- The summer trap
- July & August
- Everyone assumes the problem sorted itself out. It did not. The heat just sent them somewhere you cannot see.
- Second peak
- September & October
- Back on the surface and foraging hard. Texas A&M calls late August to mid-October the prime baiting window.
Warning signs
How ants announce themselves.
Fire ant mounds in the yard
Trails that reappear hours after you wipe them
Fine sawdust under trim or a windowsill
Winged ants at the windows after spring rain
Species matters more than the trail. A fire ant mound and a line of pharaoh ants in the bathroom get opposite treatments, and the wrong product on the wrong ant splits a colony. Text a photo to 843-480-8699. Most of the time we can tell from the picture whether it needs same-day attention.
How we get rid of ants.
Inspect
We track trails back to the colony and find every satellite nest.
Treat
Colony-level baiting and treatment. Pet and kid friendly, and easy on the lawn.
Protect
Barrier treatment and mound prevention, year-round.
How to identify the ants in your house.
Every photo here came off a real service visit across the Austin metro. Species matters more with ants than with almost any other pest, because the wrong product on the wrong ant can split a colony and double your problem.
Classic dome mound with no front door. Disturb it and the entire colony comes out to discuss it with you.
One spill, one scout, and suddenly there is a line. Squash one and it smells like a rotten coconut, which is how they got the name.
Big, dark, and travelling solo. One of these indoors usually means damp wood somewhere nearby, and that is the real problem.
Straight line, no wandering about. When a trail runs to a sink like this they are after water, not your snacks.
Using the grout lines like a footpath, all heading for one small drip. Ants are brilliant at finding the leak you have not noticed yet.
Tiny, amber, and far too comfortable. These are the ones where a can of store-bought spray genuinely makes it worse.
Photographs by the Bastion Pest Control service team. All six are common across Central Texas. Not sure which one is yours? Text a photo to 843-480-8699 and we will identify it for you.
Pest-Free Guarantee
They come back? So do we, free.
Free re-treatments between scheduled visits on any recurring plan.
What it costs
Ant control is included in the general pest plan.
There is no ant tier to upgrade to. Fire ants, carpenter ants and sugar ants all ride on the recurring general pest plan, and if a trail turns up between visits we come back free. Your price moves with home size and lot size, not with which ant you have.
| General pest planRecurring | One-time treatmentSingle visit | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is for | Keeping ants out of the house year-round | Knocking down one active trail or mound |
| Right for you if | You want it handled and kept handled | You are between tenants, or you want to try us once |
| What you get | Full TriBarrier™ on every visit, on a recurring schedule | One full TriBarrier™ treatment |
| If they come back | We re-treat free, with no limit and no trip fee | A return visit is a new charge |
| Other pests covered | Spiders, cockroaches, scorpions, wasps and rodents | Ants only |
| Price | From $66 a month* | Quoted per job* |
A one-time treatment clears what is in front of you today. It does nothing about the colony that sends the next scout, which is why the recurring plan is what we actually recommend.
* Starting price. Your exact number depends on home size, lot size and current pest pressure.
Ant control, answered straight.
What months are fire ants worst in Central Texas?
Fire ants peak twice, not once. Spring rain collapses their tunnels and forces fresh mounds to the surface through April and May. High summer heat drives the colonies deep, so July and August look quiet even though nothing has actually left. Then foraging restarts and mounds return through September and October. Texas A&M AgriLife rates spring and the late August to mid-October window as the two best times to broadcast bait.
Why do ants keep coming back after I spray them?
Because store-bought spray kills the ants you can see, and the ants you can see are the delivery drivers. The queen and the brood sit somewhere else entirely, still producing replacements. Worse, a repellent spray can split some colonies into several smaller ones, which is called budding, and you end up with more trails than you started with. Baiting works differently. Foragers carry it back and feed it to the colony, so the problem gets solved at the source rather than on your countertop.
What are the tiny yellow ants in my bathroom?
Very likely pharaoh ants. They are about 2mm, amber to pale yellow, and they love warm humid rooms with a water source, so bathrooms and kitchens are prime territory. They are also the textbook example of an ant you should not spray, because repellent products scatter the colony into multiple new ones. Pharaoh ants need a targeted bait program. If you are not certain what you have got, text us a photo and we will identify it before anyone treats anything.
How do I get rid of a fire ant mound for good?
Texas A&M's Two-Step method is the approach with actual research behind it. Step one is broadcasting a bait across the whole yard, because the mounds you can see are only part of the picture. Step two is treating individual mounds directly. Doing only step two is whack-a-mole, since untreated colonies simply move in. Timing matters too, which is why we work to the spring and fall windows rather than turning up whenever.
Are the ants in my kitchen dangerous?
Most Central Texas house ants are a nuisance rather than a health hazard, though any ant tracking across food surfaces is worth dealing with promptly. Fire ants are the exception outdoors, and their stings cause a painful welt that can be serious for anyone with an allergy. Carpenter ants do not sting but they nest in damp wood, so finding them indoors is a hint to go looking for a moisture problem. Pharaoh ants are the ones of genuine hygiene concern, because they will trail through drains and rubbish.
How much does ant control cost in the Austin area?
Ant control is included in our recurring general pest plan starting at $66 per month for a single-family home. That covers ants alongside spiders, roaches, scorpions, wasps and rodents, so the entire cast list on one ticket rather than six separate bills. A bigger house or a bigger lot moves the number. We confirm your exact price with a free on-site quote and there is no inspection fee.
More questions? Read the full FAQ or get a free quote.
Ant control where you live.
East of I-35 the blackland clay grows fire ant mounds by the acre, the limestone side sends trails indoors hunting water in a dry August, and new sod often arrives with colonies already in it. Pick your city for what we actually find there.
We service 26 cities and 83 ZIP codes with no travel fee anywhere. The service area page has every city and ZIP, plus a coverage map.
Other pests we treat
One recurring plan covers all of these. No per-pest pricing and no upcharge when a different one shows up.
Every plan includes the full TriBarrier™ treatment. See all services →
Answered 24 hours · Austin, TX
Ready to be done with it?
Quotes are free, there is no inspection fee, and the phone is answered around the clock. Same-day service is usually open across the metro.