Pest control in Austin

Mosquitoes and standing water in Austin

Report standing water, drainage problems or mosquito swarms to 3-1-1; Austin Public Health monitors mosquito populations and takes steps when it finds issues. The department also recommends Bti "mosquito dunks" for rain barrels and other permanent water. DSHS reported 42 West Nile disease cases and 7 deaths in Texas in 2022 and says mosquitoes stay active in much of the state into November and December, so ask whether a yard treatment plan runs through the fall.

Fire ants and scorpions around Austin homes

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension prefers the Two-Step Method for fire ants: broadcast bait across the yard, then treat problem mounds. Spring and fall are the best times; in hot, dry summers ants are less active and mounds harder to spot. The striped bark scorpion, the only one of Texas's 18 species found statewide, hides under rocks, boards and debris. AgriLife says stings usually cause only moderate reactions, but watch for an allergic one.

Termites before an Austin home sale

Termite reports for a Texas real estate deal must be on TDA's official Wood Destroying Insect Report form, signed by a licensed applicator or technician in the termite category. The inspection covers visible, accessible areas only, and treatment can be recommended only with visible evidence of an active infestation, or a past one with no sign of treatment. Pair it with the city's ECAD energy audit if you are selling; see real estate agents in Austin.

1. Ask for the TDA business license number and the applicator's license, then find both on TDA's published lists of active structural pest control licenses or its company search by zip code.
2. Match the category to the job. TDA licenses general pest, termite, lawn and ornamental, fumigation and weed control separately, so a termite job needs the termite category.
3. Ask for the insurance certificate. A licensed business must carry at least $500,000 of bodily injury and property damage coverage and $1,000,000 in total aggregate, and the policy can't exclude property in the company's care, custody or control. The insurer must give TDA 30 days' notice before canceling.
4. For indoor work at a home you own, the technician must make TDA's consumer information sheet available. It comes in English and Spanish.

Austin renters get extra notice. At a complex of five or more units, residents in or next to the treatment area must get at least 48 hours' notice of each planned indoor treatment, and only a genuine health emergency waives that. The sign lists the National Pesticide Information Center hotline, 1-800-858-7378.

Austin quotes vary, so use HomeGuide's national figures, from pages dated November 2025 and January 2026, as a starting range:

HomeGuide says mosquito programs cost most in warm, humid regions with long seasons. The Texas pest control guide compares contract types. Trees sprayed for pests need the same TDA license, in the lawn and ornamental category; see tree service in Austin. City rules for every trade are on the Austin hub, and pest control in Pflugerville is listed for comparison.