Pest control in Carrollton

Dallas County Health and Human Services runs an integrated mosquito program of surveillance, larvicide, adulticide and public awareness. In Denton County, public health posts mosquito maps at DentonCounty.gov/WNV. DSHS has said mosquitoes stay active in much of Texas into November and December, so keep up yard checks through late fall.

Start with the free steps DSHS lists: use an EPA-registered repellent and empty standing water from toys, tires, buckets, clogged gutters and plant pots. If you still want a service, HomeGuide's national range for mosquito control is $80 to $150 a visit or $350 to $1,000 a season.

Structural pest control for hire in Texas is licensed by TDA under the Structural Pest Control Act. TDA licenses by category, so ask which ones the company holds: general pest, termite, and lawn and ornamental are separate. TDA publishes lists of active licenses and a company search by ZIP code or address.

• Insurance. A licensed business carries at least $500,000 of bodily injury and property damage coverage, with a $1,000,000 aggregate, and it must cover property in the company's care.
• Paperwork at your door. For an indoor treatment of an owner-occupied home, the technician must make TDA's consumer information sheet available to you.
• Apartments. In complexes of five or more units, residents in or next to the treatment area get at least 48 hours' notice before a planned indoor treatment.

HomeGuide's national general pest prices are $100 to $600 for a one-time visit, $80 to $150 a quarterly visit and $40 to $75 a monthly one. The Texas pest control guide has the full table.

Buying a home. A termite report for a Texas sale must be on TDA's Wood Destroying Insect Report form, by someone licensed in the termite category. It covers visible, accessible areas only, so hollow walls and closed attics can hide activity. Your Carrollton realtor can tell you when in the purchase timeline to book it. HomeGuide's national figures put an inspection at $0 to $250 and treatment at $225 to $2,500 for chemical or bait methods.

Scorpions. The striped bark scorpion is the only one of Texas's 18 species found statewide, and it hides under rocks, boards and debris around homes. Since it shelters in that kind of debris, clear woodpiles and yard clutter away from the house.

Fire ants. Texas A&M AgriLife's Two-Step Method is to broadcast bait, then treat problem mounds. Spring and fall work best, because ants are less active in hot, dry summers.

More local checks are on the Carrollton hub. West of the city, see pest control in Lewisville.