Ants are one of the most common pests homeowners deal with across Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Apache Junction, and Cave Creek, especially the small black sugar ants and reddish fire ants that show up in kitchens and yards from spring through fall. Most ant problems are more of a nuisance than a real threat, but fire ants can deliver a painful sting, and a large colony near your foundation is worth taking seriously.

What kind of ants are in my yard in the Phoenix area?

The two you’ll run into most across the Valley are odorous house ants (sometimes called sugar ants) and fire ants.

Odorous house ants are small, dark brown to black, and get their name from the rotten coconut smell they give off when crushed. They’re the ones you’ll find trailing across a kitchen counter toward a dropped crumb or a sticky spot near the trash can.

Fire ants are reddish brown and build mound nests in open soil, often in a lawn or along a walkway. They’re aggressive if their mound gets disturbed and their sting can leave a welt that itches for days.

You might also see pavement ants near sidewalks and driveways, or carpenter ants if there’s a moisture issue somewhere on the property, though carpenter ants are less common in our dry climate.

Signs you have an ant problem

• A visible trail of ants moving in a line, usually toward a food or water source
• Small dirt mounds in the yard, especially fire ant mounds that can pop up within a day or two after watering
• Ants inside around sinks, pet food bowls, or the pantry
• A sudden increase in ant activity after rain, since flooding underground pushes colonies to relocate

One or two ants wandering inside isn’t usually a sign of an infestation. A steady trail, or a mound that keeps rebuilding after you kick it apart, is.

Are ants dangerous, or just annoying?

For most Valley homeowners, ants are an annoyance rather than a danger. Odorous house ants don’t bite or sting and mainly contaminate food surfaces. Fire ants are the exception. Their sting can cause real pain and swelling, and for someone with an allergy, a fire ant sting can be serious. If you have young kids or pets who play in the yard, a fire ant mound near a play area is worth treating quickly rather than waiting.

Why do I keep getting ants even after I clean up?

Cleaning up food sources helps, but it doesn’t get rid of the colony, and a colony can have thousands of workers being sent out to search for food and water. If you’re only killing the ants you see, the nest just sends out more. In our climate, ants are also drawn to any consistent moisture source, an irrigation leak, a pet water bowl left outside, condensation from an AC unit, so even a spotless kitchen won’t stop them if there’s a water source drawing them onto the property from outside.

How Trellis handles ants

Ant control only works long term if you’re treating the colony, not just the ants you can see. That’s the idea behind our Triple Lock Protection System. We treat the yard where colonies are nesting, create a barrier along the fenceline where ants are traveling in from neighboring properties, and seal the perimeter of the home itself so trails can’t establish along the foundation, doors, and windows.

For an active fire ant mound, we treat it directly so the colony is eliminated at the source instead of just scattering it, which can actually make a fire ant problem worse if it’s disturbed with the wrong approach.

Members get ongoing visits built into their agreement, so if ants show up between scheduled treatments, we come back out at no extra cost. No guessing about whether a callback is covered.

How much does ant control cost in the Phoenix area?

Ant control is part of our general pest coverage, and pricing is based on home size, not a flat rate for everyone. Here’s what it looks like:

• 0 to 2,300 sqft: $75
• 2,300 to 3,800 sqft: $95
• 3,800 to 5,000 sqft: $115
• 5,000+ sqft: custom quote based on the property

Lot size can add a small amount on top depending on how much yard we’re treating, from no extra charge on a quarter acre lot up to a bit more on larger properties. Service visits are bi-monthly, so you’re covered year round without having to remember to book anything.

We don’t do “starting at” pricing that turns into something different once someone’s on the phone. What you see is what you pay, and it’s on the agreement before we treat anything.

Can I get rid of ants myself?

Store-bought sprays and baits can knock down what you see, but they rarely reach the colony itself, and some sprays actually make the problem worse by causing a colony to split into multiple smaller colonies (a behavior called budding) when the ants sense a threat. Fire ant mounds are especially risky to treat on your own since a disturbed mound can trigger an aggressive response. If a mound is somewhere kids or pets spend time, it’s worth having it handled by someone who treats the whole colony rather than just the surface.

Ready to stop the trail?

If you’re seeing ants around the house or a mound building up in the yard, we’re happy to come take a look.