OXFORD, Miss. (WTVA) --Officials said there are about 180 different types of ants in Mississippi. But here in north Mississippi the three most common nuisance calls are the pharaoh ants, the odorous house ants and of course the fire ants.
Lee Crestman of Pickins Pest Control canvased a home in Oxford looking for the pesky critters.
He checked the air conditioning vents because he said it's a place ants like to hide.
"They are attracted to moisture. Keep your gutters clean because if you got gutters full of leaves they will hold moisture and ants will infest in there and they will crawl into your house," said Crestman.
He said if you see one ant there is a guarantee hundreds more are somewhere close by.
"We are starting to see a few ant beds since the recent rains. But a lot of the ants we've seen on the inside are due to the dryness that we had about two weeks before all this rain," Crestman.
Christopher Ammann of Oxford said fire ants drive him crazy. Ge braves the heat to keep the little pest from causing havoc on his yard and his ankles.
"We get a pile of ants and usually two or three big piles in the yard. They are aggravating and I kill them myself," Ammann.
Crestman said the ants are looking for water, food and shade. He said the best way to keep them at bay is not to leave sugar food or drink out to entice them and get rid of standing water in and around your home.
