Moderate risk
Peak: Mar–Oct
Carpenter, fire, and odorous house ants, trails in kitchens and bathrooms usually mean a colony is close by.
Warning signs
Live trails along baseboards and counters, small dirt mounds at slab cracks, winged swarmers near windows in spring, and rustling in wall voids for carpenter ants.
Why it matters
Fire ant stings cause painful welts and can trigger severe allergic reactions. Carpenter ants hollow out structural wood, and odorous house ants contaminate food supplies fast.
How we treat it
We locate and treat the colony itself, not just the visible trail, using non-repellent products workers carry back to the queen, plus granular bait zones around the foundation.
Prevention checklist
Seal cracks around doors, windows, and utility lines
Keep branches and shrubs trimmed off the house
Store sweet foods in sealed containers
Fix dripping taps, ants follow moisture