Pest control in Houston

Texas A&M's urban entomology program says Formosan termites have since been detected in 31 Texas counties, with more added each year. Swarmers are drawn to lights, so check around porch lights and windows on warm Houston nights in late May.

HomeGuide's national figures put termite treatment at $225 to $2,500 for chemical or bait methods and $2,000 to $8,000 for whole-home tenting; an inspection costs $0 to $250. Ask which method is quoted and what the warranty covers.

Termite reports when you buy or sell in Houston

A Wood Destroying Insect Report for a Texas sale must be on TDA's form, unaltered, from a licensed applicator or technician in the termite category. It covers visible, accessible areas only, so hollow walls and spaces behind built-ins can hide damage. Treatment can be recommended only for visible active infestation, or past infestation with no sign of earlier treatment.

Harris County Public Health's Mosquito and Vector Control Division (713-440-4800) runs surveillance and spraying countywide and takes breeding-site requests online. If a ditch or vacant lot near you holds water, report it there before paying for yard treatments.

In a July 2023 release, DSHS reported 42 West Nile disease cases and 7 deaths in Texas in 2022, and said mosquitoes stay active in much of Texas into November and December. Its advice is EPA-registered repellent and emptying standing water from toys, tires, buckets, clogged gutters and plant pots.

Private mosquito service runs $80 to $150 per visit or $350 to $1,000 per season, according to HomeGuide's national figures, which it says are highest in warm, humid regions with long seasons.

Every business doing structural pest control for hire in Texas needs a TDA license, issued by category: general pest, termite, lawn and ornamental, fumigation and others. Check the company in TDA's active license lists or its search by ZIP code, and confirm it holds the category your job needs.

Licensed businesses must carry at least $500,000 of bodily injury and property damage coverage, with a $1,000,000 aggregate, and the policy has to cover property in the company's care, custody or control.

Your rights during an indoor treatment

At an owner-occupied home, the technician must make TDA's consumer information sheet available to you. In apartment complexes of five or more units, residents in or next to the treatment area get at least 48 hours' notice, unless a signed statement declares an emergency.

HomeGuide puts a one-time exterminator visit at $100 to $600, quarterly service at $80 to $150 a visit and monthly treatment at $40 to $75, all national figures. For fire ants, Texas A&M AgriLife's preferred approach is the Two-Step Method, bait broadcast then individual mound treatment, applied in spring or fall. In hot, dry summer months the ants are less active and mounds are harder to see, so a midsummer treatment can miss them.

The striped bark scorpion is the only one of Texas's 18 species found statewide, Houston included, and it shelters under rocks, boards and debris around homes. AgriLife says stings usually cause only moderate reactions, though a stung person should be watched for allergic ones. Clearing boards and debris away from the foundation removes the cover it uses.

Renters in smaller buildings have rights as well: at a rental with fewer than five units, the applicator must make the consumer information sheet available to each resident on request at every indoor treatment. Companies must use TDA's own sheet, which comes in English and Spanish.

The full Texas pest control cost guide and license explainer are on the Texas pest control guide. Buyers comparing termite reports should also read realtors in Houston. East along the ship channel, see pest control in Baytown, and the Houston local guide covers permits and utilities.