Fire Ant Control

Fire Ants In Central Texas

The red imported fire ant is the dominant fire ant in Central Texas and the biggest ant threat to people and pets.

Because the queen sits deep in the mound, only a method that reaches her clears the colony, which is why Stride uses the two-step approach.

Signs You Have Fire Ants

Fire ants are hard to miss once they settle in a yard:

• Dome-shaped dirt mounds, which often appear overnight after rain.
• Ants swarming out the instant a mound is disturbed.
• Painful stings and white pustules on people and pets.
• Multiple mounds spread across the yard.
• Ant trails along the foundation, sidewalks, and garden beds.

Are Fire Ants Dangerous?

Fire ants are the most dangerous ant in Central Texas because of their sting. It burns immediately, leaves a white pustule, and comes in numbers, since a disturbed mound sends out many ants that sting repeatedly.

For people with an allergy, a fire ant sting can trigger a serious reaction or anaphylaxis, and the risk is highest for small children, the elderly, and pets. Fire ants also pack into electrical equipment and sting anyone working in the yard.

How We Get Rid of Fire Ants

Stride treats fire ants through the five-step Stride Forward process, applied through the proven two-step method:

1. Inspect. We map the mounds and the foraging areas across the property.
2. Identify. We confirm the red imported fire ant and gauge how heavy the infestation is.
3. Recommend. We set the treatment timing and flag the yard conditions feeding the colonies.
4. Treat. We follow the Texas A&M AgriLife two-step method: a broadcast bait across the yard that workers carry to the queen, plus direct treatment of individual mounds, applied in late afternoon when the ants are foraging.
5. Evaluate. We reapply on a schedule, because new colonies keep moving in, especially in late summer and early fall.

Our GreenPro certification guides this reduced-risk approach.

How to Keep Fire Ants Away

Keeping fire ants down takes steady pressure:

• Keep the yard on a treatment schedule rather than reacting mound by mound.
• Address new mounds early, before the colony spreads and splits.
• Reduce moisture and standing water that draw colonies.
• Watch after rain, when mounds surge and become visible.
• Time broadcast bait for late summer and early fall for the biggest impact.

Fire Ant Control Frequently Asked Questions

Stride Forward is our Integrated Pest Management program where we partner with our clients in the long-term removal and prevention of pests. Keeping your property free of unwanted insects and rodents works best when we work together.

The program combines habitat manipulation, biological control, cultural behavior changes, and the targeted use of products designed to repel or eradicate pests. Our approach follows five steps, with non-chemical methods prioritized before any product application.

Our Certifications & Awards

Stride Pest Control holds QualityPro and GreenPro certifications through the NPMA’s Foundation for Professional Pest Management, and fewer than 3% of pest control companies nationwide hold both. QualityPro requires background checks on every service member, a drug-free workplace, and 16 standards that exceed state and federal requirements.

Our Austin and Round Rock office operates under Texas Department of Agriculture license TPCL #667951, with Burton Johnston as Responsible Certified Applicator. Our San Antonio office operates under TPCL #827449, with Alex Randall as Responsible Certified Applicator. Our office manager, Michael Honeycutt, is an Associate Certified Entomologist through the Entomological Society of America.

Founded in 2013, we have served nearly 12,000 customers across Central Texas and hold a 4.9-star rating across 2,400+ reviews with an A+ from the BBB.