The Ranking
Our top 10 pest control companies in Houston
Houston gives pests almost everything they want: long hot summers, short mild winters, heavy rain and a lot of older housing stock with crawl spaces, attics and wood trim. Most homeowners here end up paying for some kind of pest service, and the choice comes down to which pests you are fighting and how much you want to know about what goes on your property.
Termites are the big money problem. Formosan subterranean termites have been established in the Houston area for decades and form very large colonies that can do serious damage to framing. Their swarmers usually show up on warm, humid evenings in late spring, often around porch lights. Native subterranean termites swarm earlier in the year during the day, and drywood termites live inside attic lumber and furniture, where they sometimes need whole house fumigation. If you own an older home, a yearly termite inspection and a bait system or liquid barrier is cheaper than structural repair.
The everyday pests are cockroaches, ants and rodents. American cockroaches, which many Houstonians call palmetto bugs, come in from outside, while German roaches breed indoors and usually need targeted baiting. Red imported fire ants build mounds in yards and along slabs. Roof rats travel along fences, trees and utility lines and get into attics, so rodent work here should include sealing entry points, not only trapping. Mosquitoes run most of the year, and Harris County Public Health's Mosquito and Vector Control Division tests for West Nile virus each season.
Most companies on this list sell quarterly plans built on integrated pest management: an inspection, treatment aimed at where pests live and enter, and free retreatment if pests come back between visits. Three of them post prices. Preventive advertises plans from $45 a month, Brooks lists ranges of $45 to $89 a month by pest, and Natran's plan starts at $249 for the first visit and $51 a month. Termites, rodent exclusion and mosquito service usually cost extra.
If you have children or pets, ask which products will be used, how long everyone should stay off treated areas and whether the company will leave the product labels. Natran and Kindred both say they use botanical products, and some of Natran's products fall under the federal FIFRA 25(b) exemption for minimum risk pesticides.
Texas licenses pest control businesses through the Texas Department of Agriculture's Structural Pest Control Service. Every company that treats homes for pay must hold a TDA business licence, and its technicians must be licensed or work under a licensed applicator. Natran, Preventive, Aptive and Hartz print licence numbers on their websites. For the others, ask for the number and check it on the TDA licence search before you sign anything. Ask for the TDA consumer information sheet too, which explains how to file a complaint with the state.
