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Living in rural Brazos County, Raymond Wood is used to dealing with his share of critters.

What he never expected, however, was an explosive colony of Texas leafcutter ants that have built a mound on his land off Weedon Loop that spans more than 20 feet in diameter and stands a foot tall.

Wood said he has seen ants build mounds on his property in the past, but nothing that would raise eyebrows. In December, Wood said he noticed an ant mound about 200 feet from his house that was getting larger every day. The mound has now exploded in size and Wood said he is making plans to call on a professional exterminator to end it.

"I usually don't see the ants this time of year, since normally it's cold, but it hasn't been that cold lately," Wood said.

Wood said he hasn't exterminated the ants in the past because doing so is tricky. He said they haven't taken to traditional poison baits, and since their home exists deep in the ground, spraying poison on the mound isn't effective.