A free guide for Texas homes
Pest control help for Texas homes
Got ants, roaches, mice, or something you can't name? This site helps Texas homeowners and renters figure out what to do next, in plain language.
Pick your pest #
Ants
Including fire ants. Mounds in the yard, or trails of tiny ants in the kitchen.
Cockroaches
Small roaches in the kitchen, or big ones that wander in from outside.
Termites
Winged swarmers by a window, mud tubes on the foundation, or damaged wood.
Bed bugs
Itchy bites, small dark spots on sheets, or bugs in mattress seams.
Rats and mice
Droppings, gnaw marks, or scratching in the attic.
Mosquitoes
Dumping standing water every week is the most important step.
Scorpions
The striped bark scorpion lives all over Texas and often moves into attics.
Fleas and ticks
Fleas usually ride in on pets. Ticks wait in tall grass and brush.
Not sure what you're looking at? The pest guides page explains how to get a bug identified through Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.
Three steps before you spend money #
- Know what you're dealing with. The right fix for ants is not the right fix for termites. Each pest guide lists the signs to look for.
- Decide if it's a do-it-yourself job. Many small problems are. Some, like termites, almost never are. See Do it yourself or hire a pro.
- If you hire, check the license first. In Texas, anyone who inspects, gives a price, or treats for pests for pay needs a license from the Texas Department of Agriculture. Here's how to check a license in a few minutes.
More guides #
What pest control costs
What changes the price and what to ask.
Using pesticides with care
Reading the label, kids and pets, storage.
How to find a licensed company
Where to look and how to compare companies on your own.
Photo: "Cimex lectularius (bed bug) (5975917188)" by Gilles San Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped; this version is licensed CC BY-SA 2.0. Photo: "Rattus norvegicus - Brown rat 02" by Zeynel Cebeci, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped; this version is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: "Centruroides vittatus 209027111" by Sam Kieschnick, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized. All photo credits
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Pest Control Helper is a free consumer guide, not a pest control company. No pest control company or product maker owns it, pays for it, or has a say in what the guides say, and there are no affiliate links or referral fees either.