Pest control in Laredo

Fire ants in Laredo yards

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension prefers a Two-Step Method: a broadcast of fire ant bait, then follow-up treatment of the mounds that cause trouble. AgriLife says spring and fall work best. Spring rain pushes up fresh mounds that are easy to find, while in hot, dry summers the ants go deeper and mounds disappear from view.

Laredo mosquitoes

DSHS says mosquitoes stay active in much of Texas into November and December. Its prevention advice is to wear EPA-registered repellent and tip out standing water in toys, tires, trash cans, buckets, clogged gutters and plant pots. Ask a mosquito company whether its visits include tipping out containers like these.

Scorpions around Laredo homes

The striped bark scorpion, about 2.5 inches long, is Texas's most common species and the only one of the state's 18 found everywhere. It favors dead vegetation, fallen logs, boards and debris near houses. Laredo's brush and bulky item pickup is one way to clear woodpiles and junk away from the walls. AgriLife says most stings cause moderate reactions, but someone stung should be watched for an allergic response.

Termites in Laredo

Formosan termites have turned up in Bexar, Hidalgo and Cameron counties among 31 on A&M's list, and more are added each year. They swarm at night in late May and early June, drawn to lights, so that's the season to look for winged swarmers.

The Structural Pest Control Act requires a TDA license for any business or person doing pest control for hire. A commercial applicator runs or works for such a business; a noncommercial applicator is licensed for pest work done outside one. TDA licenses by category, so a company spraying for roaches needs the general pest category, and termite work needs the termite category.

Look the company up on TDA's current license reports or its search by zip code or address. Its business license requires liability cover of at least $500,000, with $1,000,000 aggregate, from an insurer authorized by the Texas Department of Insurance and kept in force for the whole license period.

These HomeGuide figures are national, so treat them as a range to compare quotes against, not a Laredo price:

• One-time visit: $100 to $600
• Monthly service: $40 to $75 a visit
• Quarterly service: $80 to $150 a visit
• Annual plan: $300 to $900
• Mosquito control: $80 to $150 a visit, or $350 to $1,000 a season
• Termite inspection: $0 to $250

Our Texas pest control guide covers treatment types and the hiring checklist.

Before an indoor treatment at an owner-occupied home, the technician must make TDA's consumer information sheet available, and TDA prints it in English and Spanish. In a rental with fewer than five units, each resident can ask for it at every treatment. In complexes of five or more, residents in and next to the area must get 48 hours' notice, by a posted sign or a notice at each door; only a signed emergency statement waives that.

If you're buying a house, the termite report for the sale must be on TDA's official form, completed by someone licensed in the termite category. Coordinate it with your Laredo realtor, see our Laredo hub for city services, and compare pest control in San Antonio, where Bexar County is on the Formosan list.