Broadcast bait program
Bait is spread over the whole treated area, not just at mounds. It reaches colonies you cannot see, and it is the usual starting point for a lawn with many mounds.
Serving Collin County
Fire Ant Control in Plano, TX
Red imported fire ant treatment for irrigated lawns, beds and common areas, with bait, mound treatment and follow-up explained up front.
- Phones answered 24/7
- Price explained and approved first
- Same-day scheduling when a technician is free
- Termite inspections and WDI reports
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (855) 974-4733. Or send this and we call you back.
Fire Ants
Fire Ant Control: what it covers
Quick answer
Fire ant control in Plano combines broadcast bait across the lawn and beds with treatment of individual mounds, then follow-up visits because colonies re-establish. Plano Pest Control connects you with a local technician serving Collin County, who explains the plan and the price before any product goes down.
Red imported fire ants build dome-shaped mounds in sunny, open ground, and a single disturbed mound can send hundreds of angry ants up a leg in seconds. Each sting leaves a burning welt that turns into a small white pustule. Anyone who has stepped into a mound while mowing, or watched a child do it, knows why people call for help.
In Plano, the setup that suits them is everywhere: irrigated St. Augustine turf, mulched beds beside the foundation, HOA common areas, playground edges and athletic fields. Rain makes mounds easy to see, and sprinklers keep the soil damp through a dry summer. Plano Pest Control answers phones 24/7 and schedules visits the same day when a technician is free. If the ants coming into your kitchen are tiny and do not sting, see ant control instead.
- Service area
- Plano & Collin County
- Availability
- Phones answered 24/7
- Phone
- (855) 974-4733
Why do fire ants keep coming back to Plano lawns?
Fire ant colonies are large, and new queens fly in from neighboring yards, parks and greenbelts. Irrigated lawns, warm soil and frequent rain make reinfestation common, so mounds can return after treatment. Repeat visits and treating a wider area usually give longer relief than one-off mound treatments.
A colony may have several mounds, and treating one mound does not always reach the others. Ants can also relocate, so a mound that disappears may reappear a few yards away.
Neighbors matter. If the yards on each side are not treated, ants can return from them. In HOA communities, a coordinated treatment of common areas and several lots is often more effective than lot-by-lot work, though that depends on the community.
Fire ant colonies can have more than one queen, which is one reason a single mound treatment can leave colonies behind. A bait-based approach reaches colonies you have not seen yet.
Do sprinklers and rain affect fire ant treatment?
Yes. Granular bait should be applied when the ground is dry and no rain is expected soon, since wet bait spoils and sprinklers can wash it away. Rain also makes mounds more visible. The technician may ask you to turn sprinklers off before and after a visit.
Irrigation timers in HOA subdivisions are often set to run early in the morning. Tell the technician what your schedule is so bait is not washed off the turf, and ask when the system can be turned back on.
Mounds often become more visible after rain, since ants rebuild soil on the surface. That is a useful time to count mounds, though it is not always the best moment to apply bait.
How much does fire ant treatment cost?
The price depends on lot size, how many mounds there are, whether the work is a single visit or a recurring program, and whether it includes beds and common areas. A technician explains the figure and the number of follow-up visits before applying anything.
No fixed prices are published on this page. A small yard with a few mounds is a different job from a half-acre lot with irrigated beds, or an HOA common area with several playgrounds.
Ask what the price covers: bait, mound treatment, follow-up visits and whether a re-treatment is included if mounds return. The HOA, sprinklers and pests guide lists other points to check.
Questions about timing are fair, too. Ask which weeks of the year the technician recommends for bait, how many visits a typical lawn needs, and what to do if mounds are still present after the first round.
What should I do if someone gets stung?
Move away from the mound, brush ants off quickly, and wash the area with soap and water. Cold packs and over-the-counter antihistamine or hydrocortisone products may ease itching. Do not pop the pustules. Call 911 for trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, dizziness or widespread hives.
Most stings are painful and annoying but not dangerous. A small number of people have severe allergic reactions, and the signs can start within minutes.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist about care for stings in children, older adults or anyone with known allergies.
- Get away from the mound before brushing off ants
- Wash with soap and water
- Do not break pustules, which can cause infection
- Seek emergency care for breathing trouble or throat swelling
- Keep children and pets out of the area until it is treated
Can fire ants damage the house or yard?
Fire ants mostly cause stings and mound clutter, but they can also nest near foundations, in irrigation boxes, along sidewalk edges and in electrical equipment, where they can cause problems. Mounds also damage mower blades and spoil the look of a lawn.
Ants sometimes move into utility boxes, air conditioner pads and meter covers, which can be a nuisance for the people who service them. If you find ants in electrical equipment, do not poke at it. Call the technician and tell the utility if needed.
Fire ants also tend to attack small animals. Pets that dig or nap on the lawn are at risk, and pet owners should mention the dogs and cats in the household when calling.
Warning signs
Signs you need fire ant control
Do not pour gasoline, bleach or other household chemicals on a mound or dig it up. It is dangerous, harms soil and pets, and often just moves the colony. Keep children and pets away from mounds and from areas where bait has just been spread.
- Dome-shaped mounds of loose soil with no visible entrance hole, often appearing after rain
- Mounds in sunny lawn areas, along sidewalks and driveways, or at the edge of mulch beds
- Ants that swarm up your shoes within seconds when a mound is disturbed
- Painful stings that blister into white pustules within a day
- Ants nesting around irrigation boxes, meter covers or the base of trees
- Trails of reddish-brown ants crossing a patio, pool deck or foundation edge
- Mounds reappearing within weeks of a single treatment
- Ants entering the house through a gap beside a slab or a pipe, in rare cases
Our process
How our fire ant control visit works
Look at the yard
The technician walks the lawn, beds, tree bases, irrigation boxes and the foundation, counting mounds and noting where they cluster. Pets, play areas and HOA common ground are discussed.
Plan and price explained
You hear whether the job is a single yard, a shared common area or a larger site, which methods are planned and what the price is. Nothing is applied until you approve.
Broadcast bait
A granular bait is spread across the lawn and beds, usually when the ground is dry and ants are foraging. Workers carry it back to the colony, which can reduce it over time.
Individual mound treatment
Mounds near play areas, walkways or entry points may get a direct treatment with a labeled product. Disturbing a mound may alert ants, so the technician handles them with care.
Follow-up
Colonies and new queens can move in again, so the technician explains when to re-check and what to look for. Ask about timing and what the visit includes.
Options
Types and options for fire ant control
Individual mound treatment
A direct treatment applied to a specific mound. It is quicker for a few mounds near a door or play area, and it is often paired with bait.
Combination and ongoing visits
Many lawns need both methods and repeat visits. Irrigated yards and HOA common areas are often handled on a schedule, and the technician explains what each visit covers. Lawn-wide plans can overlap with lawn and landscape pest control.
Job stories
Typical jobs for fire ant control
Typical call: fire ant mounds in irrigated turf in Willow Bend
- What homeowners notice
- A few days after a heavy spring rain, homeowners on irrigated St. Augustine lawns often find fresh mounds along the curb, beside the sprinkler heads and at the edge of the patio slab. Children and dogs get stung before anyone has noticed the mounds.
- What we do
- The technician walks the lawn and beds, applies bait across the turf where the label allows, and treats the active mounds near doors, play areas and the foundation. The precautions for pets and the dry time are explained before the technician leaves.
- What to expect
- Mound activity typically fades over the following weeks as the bait works through the colonies, and the written report notes when to call if new mounds appear after the next big rain.
One call and it gets handled.
Most fire ant control calls are scheduled the same day when a technician is free, and you approve the price before any work starts.
Collin County
Why fire ant control is different in North Texas
Fire ants like what many Plano yards offer: sun, open turf, steady moisture and disturbed soil. The mix of irrigated St. Augustine lawns and mulch beds around brick homes in HOA subdivisions gives colonies plenty of places to build, and spring and fall storms keep the soil soft.
The Blackland Prairie clay under much of the area can dry out and crack in a hot, dry stretch. The Dallas-Fort Worth area averages 17 days a year at or above 100 degrees F according to the National Weather Service, and in those spells ants often move toward moisture, such as sprinkler zones, drip lines and damp foundation edges.
HOA rules differ on what may be applied and who handles common areas. Check your community's guidelines, and let the board know if you see mounds near a playground or pool, since common areas are not the homeowner's to treat. For the many homes near greenbelts and creeks, such as along Rowlett Creek, ants can come in from neighboring land.
Related
Related services
Odorous House & Rover Ant Control
Bait-first treatment for the small trailing ants that follow rain and heat into Plano kitchens, bathrooms and garages.
Lawn & Landscape Pest Control
Diagnosis and treatment of grubs, chinch bugs, fire ants and bed pests in St. Augustine turf and HOA landscaping around Plano.
Pest Control
General home pest control for ants, roaches, spiders and everyday invaders in brick homes across Plano and Collin County.
Mosquito Control
Yard treatment and breeding-site checks for mosquitoes around Plano creeks, HOA ponds, gutters and shaded beds.
Where we work
Fire Ant Control across Collin County
- Fire Ants in Downtown Plano
- Fire Ants in Legacy West
- Fire Ants in Willow Bend
- Fire Ants in Oak Point
- Fire Ants in Richardson
- Fire Ants in Murphy
- Fire Ants in Wylie
- Fire Ants in Sachse
- Fire Ants in Garland
- Fire Ants in Firewheel
- Fire Ants in Allen
- Fire Ants in Fairview
- Fire Ants in Lucas
- Fire Ants in McKinney
- Fire Ants in Carrollton
- Fire Ants in Addison
- Fire Ants in Farmers Branch
- Fire Ants in The Colony
- Fire Ants in Frisco
- Fire Ants in Rowlett
- Fire Ants in Far North Dallas
- Fire Ants in Lake Highlands
- Fire Ants in Preston Hollow
- Fire Ants in Highland Park
- Fire Ants in University Park
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Guides
Read before you book
HOA Rules, Sprinklers and Pests in Plano, TX
In Plano's HOA subdivisions, irrigated turf, mulched beds and shared ponds create the damp, sheltered conditions that fire ants, mosquitoes, ants and termites use.
The Plano Pest Calendar: Which Pests Show Up in Which Month
In Plano, termite swarms and fire ant mounds tend to start in spring, mosquitoes and wasps build through summer and early fall, and rodents move toward attics from fall into winter.
FAQ
Fire Ant Control FAQs
Are fire ants different from the ants I see in my kitchen?
Usually yes. Fire ants nest outdoors in mounds and sting. Kitchen trails are more often odorous house ants or rover ants, which are small and do not sting. The technician can tell you which you have.
How soon will mounds disappear?
Timing varies. Bait takes days to reach a colony, and some mounds disappear within a week or two while others take longer. The technician should give an expectation for your yard and cannot guarantee an outcome.
Is it safe for pets after treatment?
Products are applied according to their labels, which give rules on re-entry. Tell the technician about your pets and ask when they can return to the lawn.
Should I treat my own yard or wait for the HOA?
Treat your own lot and mention common area mounds to the board. Ants move between lots, so coordinated treatment works better when neighbors take part.
Will mowing or watering spread fire ants?
Mowing over a mound can provoke ants, so mark mounds and avoid them until treated. Heavy watering can push ants to move, so tell the technician about your irrigation.
Does fire ant control cover other pests?
Not by itself. For roaches, spiders and other pests, ask about general pest control, and ask what each visit does and does not include.
What time of year is best to treat fire ants?
Mounds are active whenever the ground is warm, and many Texas homeowners treat in spring and again in fall. The technician can suggest timing for your yard, and the weather decides the exact day.