Ants Pest Control Services - Del Valle Pest Control

Ant Control in the Rio Grande Valley

Ants are one of the most common pest calls we get across the Rio Grande Valley, and it’s easy to see why. South Texas heat drives them indoors looking for good and water, and once a colony establishes a trail into your home, the problem tends to get worse before it gets better — not better on its own.

At Del Valle Pest Control, we treat ant infestations in homes and commercial properties throughout the RGV and across Texas. Our approach isn’t just spraying the ants you can see. It’s identifying the species, locating the colony, and treating the source so the problem doesn’t keep coming back every few weeks.

Why The Species Matters

Not all ants are the same, and treating them the same way is one of the main reasons DIY ant control fails. The right treatment depends entirely on which species you’re dealing with, where they’re nesting, and how the colony is structured.

Here are the ant species we most commonly treat in South Texas:

Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are among the more serious ant problems a homeowner can have. They don’t eat wood the way termites do, but they excavate it to build their nests — tunneling through wooden beams, window frames, door frames, and other structural wood to create smooth galleries for their colony. Over time, this causes real structural damage. Carpenter ants are large, typically black, and are most active at night. Finding sawdust-like material called frass near wood is a common sign of their activity.

Harvester Ants
Harvester ants are common in South Texas yards and are particularly aggressive when disturbed. They build large mounds and forage widely for seeds and vegetation. Their stings are painful and can cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. They’re also known to kill grass and vegetation around their mounds.

Fire Ants
Fire ants are a significant problem throughout Texas. Their mounds appear in lawns, gardens, around structures, and in pastures. They sting rather than bite, and their stings cause a burning sensation followed by raise white pustules. In large number or for individuals with allergies, fire ant stings can be medically serious. They’re aggressive defenders of their mounds and will swarm quickly when disturbed.

Pharaoh Ants
Pharaoh ants are small, pale yellow ants that are notoriously difficult to control. They nest in wall voids, inside appliances, under flooring, and in other hard-to-reach areas deep inside structures. They’re particularly problematic in hospitals, restaurants, and apartment buildings. What makes them especially challenging is that using repellent sprays on Pharaoh ants causes the colony to split into multiple new colonies — a process called budding — which spreads the infestation rather than eliminating it.

Crazy Ants (Tawny Crazy Ants)
Tawny crazy ants are an invasive species that has spread significantly across South Texas and the Gulf Coast. They don’t sting, but they appear in enormous numbers and are attracted to electrical equipment — they’re known to cause short circuits and damage in electrical panels, AC units, and vehicles. They don’t respond well to conventional ant treatments and require specialized approaches.

Argentine Ants
Argentine ants form massive supercolonies and are aggressive competitors that displace native ant species. They’re commonly found trailing along walls, sidewalks, and foundation edges, and they move indoors readily in search of food and moisture.

Odorous House Ants
Named for the rotten coconut smell they produce when crushed, odorous house ants are a frequent indoor nuisance. They trail along baseboards and countertops, particularly in kitchens and bathrooms, and they’re attracted to sweets.

Why Ant Problems Are Hard to Solve Without Professional Help

The reason store-bought ant sprays often don’t work long-term comes down to how ant colonies are structured. What you see foraging in your kitchen are worker ants — a small fraction of the colony. The queen and the majority of the colony are hidden in the nest, which may be inside a wall void, under the slab, in the yard, or in a tree outside. Killing the workers you see don’t affect the queen, and the colony simply sends out more workers.

For some species like Pharaoh ants and crazy ants, using the wrong product makes things significantly worse. That’s why correct identification before treatment is not optional — it changes everything about the approach.

There’s also the matter of colony size. A single fire ant mound can contain hundreds of thousands of workers. Carpenter ant colonies are smaller but can still number in the tens of thousands. A successful treatment has to reach and eliminate the colony, not just the ants on the surface.

How We Treat Ant Infestations

Step 1 – Identification and Inspection
We start by identifying the species. This tells us where they’re likely nesting, how the colony is structured, and which treatment approach will be effective. We inspect both the interior and exterior of the property — checking along foundation edges, under mulch and landscaping, around utility penetrations, in the attic if relevant, and inside the structure along baseboards, under sinks, and in areas where ant activity has been noticed.

We’re looking for

Active ant trails
Nest locations or likely nesting areas
Entry points into the structure
Conditions that are attaching or supporting the colony (moisture, food sources, harborage areas)

Step 2 – Treatment
Treatment varies by species and situation, but generally includes a combination of the following:

Bait treatments are used for species like Pharaoh ants, odorous house ants, and Argentine ants where repellent products would cause the problem to spread or worsen. Worker ants carry the bait back to the nest and share it with the colony, including the queen. This is slower than a contact spray but far more effective for eliminating the source.

Direct colony treatment is used when we can locate the nest — treating the mound directly for fire ants, treating wood galleries for carpenter ants, or injecting product where a colony has been established.

Residual perimeter treatment creates a barrier around the exterior of the structure that kills ants as they attempt to enter. This is applied around the foundation, entry points, windows, doors, and areas of high activity.

Granular treatments for yards are particularly effective for fire ants and harvester ants, treating the yard broadly while also targeting individual mounds.

Step 3 – Treatment
Some ant species, particularly Pharaoh ants and carpenter ants, require follow-up visits to confirm the colony has been eliminated. We monitor bait placement and activity and make adjustments as needed. For recurring ant pressure from the exterior — which is common in South Texas — we include ant treatment as part of our regular general pest control service plans.

Ants and Your Recurring Pest Control Plan

For most homes in the RGV, ants are best managed as part of a recurring service plan rather than a one-time treatment. Our bi-monthly and quarterly plans include perimeter ant treatment as a standard part of every visit. If you’re seeing ants between scheduled visits, give us a call — we come back at no additional charge to address it.

Ant Control for Commercial Properties

Ant infestations in commercial settings carry additional consequences — health code violations, failed inspections, and customer complaints. Restaurants, food processing facilities, hospitals, schools, and retail stores all have specific risk profiles when it comes to ants.
We provide commercial ant treatment tailored to the type of business and the species involved, including documentation and service reports for compliance purposes where required.

Serving the Rio Grande Valley and All of Texas

We treat ant infestations throughout the RGV including McAllen, Edinburg, Mission, Pharr, Harlingen, Brownsville, and surrounding communities, as well as across Texas including Laredo, Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, and Dallas.
Our technicians are licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture, and we carry general liability insurance and worker’s compensation coverage.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why do I keep getting ants even after I spray?

Most over-the-counter sprays are repellents — they kill the ants they contact but don’t reach the colony, and they can cause remaining ants to relocate deeper into the structure or split into new satellite colonies. Professional treatment targets the source, not just the visible workers.

How do I know if I have carpenter ants or termites?

Carpenter ants are large, usually black, and have a pinched waist and bent antennae. They don’t eat wood — they excavate it, so you may find coarse sawdust-like frass near damaged wood. Termites are smaller, have straight antennae and no pinched waist, and leave behind mud tubes (subterranean) or fine powder frass (drywood). If you’re not sure, we can inspect and identify which one you’re dealing with.

Are fire ants dangerous?

Small ants trailing in kitchens and bathrooms are most commonly Pharaoh ants, odorous house ants, or Argentine ants in South Texas. All three are attracted to food and moisture. The treatment approach differs by species, which is why we identify before treating. Using repellent sprays on Pharaoh ants in particular will make the infestation worse.

Can ants damage my home?

Carpenter ants can cause structural damage over time by excavating wood for nesting. The damage is slower than termites but real — especially if a large carpenter ant colony goes undetected in wall voids or roof framing for an extended period. Other ant species don’t typically cause structural damage, but fire ants and crazy ants can damage electrical equipment and irrigation systems.

How long does ant treatment take to work?

Contact and residual treatments work quickly on the ants they reach. Bait-based treatments take longer — typically one to three weeks — because the bait needs to be carried back to the colony and distributed to the queen. We’ll tell you what to expect based on the species and treatment type we’re using.

Do I need to leave my home during treatment?

In most cases, no. We ask that you stay clear of areas being treated while the application is in progress and until surfaces dry. We’ll give you specific instructions based on the products being used.

Schedule a Free Inspection

If you’re dealing with ants — whether it’s a trail in your kitchen, a mound in your yard, or something you suspect is carpenter ant damage — give us a call. We’ll come out, identify what you’re dealing with, and give you an honest recommendation.
Phone: (956) 433-3348
We’re available 24/7 for emergency service needs.

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