Weekly Insight Week 18
Growing Grass in the Desert Starts Here
April 26 - May 2 , 2026
Right now we’re sitting at 5.89 inches of rainfall for the year in San Angelo, which puts us about .93 inches above normal. That’s a blessing for us.
As I’m writing this, I’m in Houston and they’re sitting at 10.89 inches for the year, but still 2.81 inches below normal. Kind of interesting what a six-hour drive will show you. Same state, completely different story.
That moisture, paired with warming temperatures, is exactly what gets everything moving. Lawns are responding, trees are pushing growth, and right along with that… ants show up.
Most folks think of ants as just something you deal with when you see a mound, but in Texas we’re usually dealing with red imported fire ants. They’re not native. They came into the United States through Mobile, Alabama back in the 1930s from South America and have been spreading ever since. They do extremely well in environments like ours where moisture and heat come in cycles.
Back in the early 1990s, researchers with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service developed what’s commonly called the “Texas Two-Step” method. It wasn’t created to sell products. It was created because people were spending time and money treating what they could see and never actually getting control.
Here’s the part most people don’t understand.
A fire ant mound is not the colony. It’s just what you see.
A typical colony can range from 100,000 to 250,000 ants, sometimes more. The mound might only be a few inches tall, but below ground that colony can extend 2 to 3 feet deep and spread out several feet. Some colonies even have multiple queens, which means they can split, relocate, and rebuild faster than most people realize.
That’s why chasing one mound at a time usually doesn’t solve the problem.
In fact, some of the things people do actually make it worse.
Kicking over a mound might feel good, but all you did was make them feel threatened. They don’t die, they move. They pack their bags and relocate, sometimes giving you two or three mounds instead of one.
Home remedies are another one. Please do not pour gasoline on your yard. You’re not solving the colony and you’re killing your grass. I’m a grass guy. That part matters.
Even the nicest yard can still have an ant problem. But there is a connection. The more consistently you mow, the less activity you tend to see. You’re constantly tearing down their home while helping your grass get thicker and stronger.
Now, after 30+ years of seeing this, here’s what I’ll tell you about bait. It’s simple, but it has to be done right.
First, the ants have to be foraging.
If they’re not moving, they’re not picking anything up. With the moisture we’ve had and the temperatures we’re seeing, they are active right now.
Second, you apply bait by the square yard, not the square inch.
You’re not trying to cover every inch of ground. You’re letting the ants do the work. They will find it and carry it back to the colony.
Third, avoid moisture 24 hours before and after application.
Ants want a bait that’s fresh and dry. Not soggy from irrigation and not baked out from sitting in the sun all day. That’s why we like to apply it late in the day and let them work overnight.
Fire ants are social insects. They share food within the colony. When a bait is applied correctly, it doesn’t just affect the ants you see, it works its way through the entire colony, including the queen.
At BES-TEX, we carry multiple bait options, along with dusts for individual mound treatments and granular products if you’re looking to treat a larger area. The key is matching the right approach to your yard and your timing.
If you’ve got questions, bring them in. Bring a picture, tell us what you’re seeing, and we’ll help you work through it. If you’ve got friends or family dealing with the same thing, send them our way. That’s what we do.
Closing
Summer is here.
Take some time to step outside and enjoy it. The grass is growing, the trees are filling in, and the work you’ve been putting in is starting to show.
Share it.
Invite some friends over, fire up a grill, sit out back a little longer than you planned. We spend a lot of time working on our yards. Don’t forget to enjoy them too.
Keep your circle close, whether that’s friends or family, and make the most of it. Time moves fast, and we don’t know how many summers we get.
That’s a strong move. It brings them in and gives them ownership. Here’s a clean section you can drop right below your closing.
Looking Ahead, Month of May
I hope this was helpful and gave you something you can actually use.
As we move through the month of May, we’re going to stay focused on what’s happening right now in our lawns and landscapes. Here’s what we’ve got lined up over the next few weeks:
Week 1 Ant Control (this week)
Understanding the Texas Two-Step and how to properly use bait so you actually get results.
Week 2 Yellow Lawns and High pH Soils
Why your grass is turning yellow, what’s really causing it, and how to correct it the right way.
Week 3 Watering the Right Way
How much water your lawn actually needs, and why more is not always better.
Week 4 Weed Pressure vs Turf Health
Stop chasing weeds and start growing grass. We’ll talk about how density changes everything.
I’d also like your help.
If you’re reading this and you’ve got questions, ideas, or something you’d like us to cover, reach out to me. This only works if it’s useful to you.
You can text me directly at 325.234.5142. That’s my cell. I’ll get back to you.
You can also reply back through this message if that’s easier for you. Just know I may not see that as quickly as a direct text.
If you like what we’re doing, tell me.
If you don’t, tell me that too.
We’re going to keep this simple, practical, and based on what actually works here in West Texas.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
𝑀𝑜𝓃𝓉𝑒 𝒮𝒾𝓂𝓈
BES-TEX Supply
4512 Adobe Dr.
San Angelo, TX 76903
325.653.1300
www.BES-TEX.com
Payment Terms: At BES-TEX Supply, we accept all major credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express), as well as personal checks & cash. Please note that all sale items must be paid for at the time of purchase. We do not offer net 30 terms on sale items.