Frequently Asked Questions

Is this safe for my children? What about pets?

We are very professional and careful around children and animals. We have gone through extensive training and are state licensed and insured and we never spray over a pet's food or water, bed sheets, pillows, toys, or anything else than can be handled or chewed on. If we need to we will move things out of the barrier area. We have small children and animals too and strive to keep our little ones safe and the bugs out. The products we use are mixed according to the ratios provided by the manufacturer by law, and are very low in concentration; usually less than 1% to 99% water. Yet they are still highly effective as well as being safe. I often let people know that they have more risk just by using household cleaning products or filling the car with gasoline, and it's true. Even so do recommend an thirty minute period before letting kids or animals run around in a treated area to let the product dry. Once dry it bonds to surfaces and exposure is negligible. The technology of pest control products is constantly advancing towards safer, more effective means of pest management. If we find a better product we test it and improve our program accordingly.

Do I need year-round pest control?

In this area a pest management program is almost a necessity. If you have just moved or are vacationing here, ask your local neighbors what they do for pests. Some will use over the counter products to do it themselves but a regular pest control service is all but essential in central Texas! Store bought products work for a while but break down quickly in the heat and sunlight of Texas summers. In the winter the bugs hide from the cold but we still often have seventy to eighty degree days in December and January. Scorpions and spiders will still be active during those days. Mice and rodents are also looking for a warm place in the winter. The products you find at the store biodegrade within weeks or even days, whereas the products we use to keep the bugs out of your house typically last three months or more! Winter in Texas only lasts about three to four months but it is important to maintain the barrier around your home. We never know when an Indian summer will arrive so a year-round pest program is the way to go.

What exactly do you do?

We have developed a proven, effective and safe method of managing the unique pests of central Texas over the years. We methodically apply the most efficient and least toxic products in a multi-layer barrier around your home. The inside of the house is treated around the entrances, windows, and baseboards with a light mist of extremely safe and species targeted product. This means that it only works on insects and arachnids. Attics and voids are treated with a Diatomatious Earth product that is completely non-toxic and will last for years as well as a very low-risk pyrethrum powder for synergistic quick-knockdown effect. At the same time we use completely non-chemical Integrated Pest Management methods around the house to stop what few manage to get inside. Outside we use a combination of surface bonding mix around the entrances, windows and slab with a mixed pyrethrum granule that will work in extreme heat or pouring rain. Over and outside of the granules we use a potent but safe area treatment using our powered sprayer systems which will create a 5-10 yard barrier around the entire house. We have refined this over the years for maximum effectiveness against the toughest critters like scorpions and centipedes. In addition, we add surfactants which allows the treatment to bond to foliage, rock, and even raw soil. We have not seen any other pest control service using this technique and we feel that it makes our service unique. We have many years of experience with many different types of houses and can apply our knowledge to tailor our treatment to your home's personality. This includes high slabs, steep hills, crawlspaces, multiple attics, peer and beam voids, or any other unique central Texas construction. We have seen it all. Remember, this is YOUR house, and we aim to keep it as free from invaders as possible.

I've had big pest control companies tell me that X (scorpions) are untreatable and nothing works on them. How can you claim otherwise?

With the technical advancements in safe and effective pest management products that have matured and are available to knowledgeable applicators, this is simply not true. We have heard this many times about many different kind of pest. The simple fact is, almost every pest is manageable. The most difficult pest to manage hands down are flying insects, simply because they can fly and don't need to cross the barriers we create. Today however, even the elusive and annoying housefly and mosquitoes are able to be mitigated by proper usage of technically advanced products. The key here is the drive to adapt to new methods. Not only to try new products but study, test, and refine the application of said products beyond the manufacturer's experience while still staying within the guidelines of regulations.

I have a beautiful garden but I am worried that spraying it will do more damage than the bugs!

Every product we use has been tested extensively at our own homes before we bring it to yours. Nothing passes the test unless it proves to be completely safe for people, animals, plants, and housing materials over multiple applications. Nothing we use is herbicidal, or corrosive. We carefully monitor and balance the PH levels of our mixtures to be completely neutral to ensure maximum potency on insects while maintaining miniscule exposure to our friends, family, and property.

I have allergies/asthma and am very worried about any chemicals being used in my house, is there any way I can get rid of these bugs without having to leave the house for days?

We hear this more than you'd think, and to be completely honest, the days of smelly bug sprays are over. The majority of prescription products we use are highly advanced micro-encapsulated time release chemicals synthetically derived from natural plant based insecticides which have been around for thousands of years. They have a completely neutral odor and color and bond instantly to the surface they are applied to. This means no fumes, no smell, and no stains. If you walked into a house that we had just treated you wouldn't be able to tell. The area-wide barrier we apply around the exterior perimeter has a pleasant citrus smell when first applied. Even this is not the active insecticide, but the natural surfactants that are mixed in the solution to help prolong the longevity of the treatment in the extreme Texas climates.

What about rain? That can't be good for bug spray!

We try our best to stay on top of the weather but we all know how that goes. In most cases, heavy rain can and will speed up the natural biodegradation of most outside treatments. We have had several years dealing with unpredictable Texas weather and after much frustration have worked out a method to make our outside treatment effective in hot and dry heat waves as well as the much welcome summer rainstorms. This method includes the application of water activated granules and the mandatory use of various surfactants in our liquid treatments. It's not the easy road but we do this along side the standard "dry" treatment even in a prolonged drought. This prevents all but major or prolonged precipitation from adversely affecting the perimeter treatment. Nothing is full proof however, sometimes the weather gets the best of us. We take pride in our work and guarantee most exterior applications! That's why we love coming by for another visit after a multi-day downpour just to fix your "invisible bug fence". Just try and keep us away!
 

Can you do anything about Mosquitoes?

Yes! We now offer Mosquito Fogging. Click here to learn more about the process.