Pest control in Boerne

HomeGuide's national figures stand in for local prices. A one-time visit costs $100 to $600, quarterly service $80 to $150 per visit and monthly service $40 to $75 per visit, with annual plans at $300 to $900. Mosquito control runs $80 to $150 a visit or $350 to $1,000 a season. Termite treatment by chemical or bait costs $225 to $2,500, and an inspection $0 to $250. Our pest control hub has the Texas guide.

The striped bark scorpion is the one scorpion of Texas's 18 species found statewide, and it often turns up under rocks, boards and debris around homes. AgriLife says its stings usually cause moderate reactions, but a stung person should be watched for allergic ones. Fire ants respond best to AgriLife's Two-Step Method, bait broadcast then mound treatment, in spring or fall. For mosquitoes, DSHS's advice is EPA-registered repellent and emptying standing water from pots, toys and gutters.

Termites deserve a look on older homes and decks. Texas A&M's urban entomology program lists the counties where Formosan termites have been detected; neighboring Bexar and Comal are on it and Kendall isn't, though the program says more counties are added each year. Formosan swarms come at night in late May and early June, drawn to lights.

Before a Boerne company treats your home, find it in TDA's lists of active licensees or its company search by zip code. The Structural Pest Control Act requires a license for pest control for hire, issued by category, such as general pest, termite, or lawn and ornamental, so match the category to the job. A business must carry at least $500,000 of liability coverage and $1,000,000 in aggregate, with no exclusion for property in its care.

If you're selling a Boerne home, any termite report must be TDA's Wood Destroying Insect Report, from a licensee in the termite category, and it covers only visible, accessible areas. Your Boerne realtor can say when it's due. A corrective treatment can be recommended on that report only with visible evidence of active infestation, or of an old one with no record of treatment.

For indoor treatment of your own home, the technician must make TDA's consumer information sheet available, on TDA's own form in English or Spanish. Local rules are on the Boerne guide, and you can compare pest control in San Antonio.