You do not need to be home for most services. Many pest issues are resolved with exterior treatments.
However, we ask that customers be present for initial services so we can meet you and review your needs.
Annual Termite Assessments may also require interior access.
No. Our technicians and office staff monitor the weather closely to ensure we can perform an effective treatment. If rescheduling is necessary, we will contact you.
We also provide a special “rainy day” service where granular applications are used to achieve the same great results. In cases of heavy rain, we may treat indoor and covered areas first and return later to complete the exterior treatment.
No. Most of the products we use are water-based, which means they can easily be washed off most surfaces without causing stains or damage.
Most pest control services take 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of your home.
Mosquito control services usually take 20 to 30 minutes, and re-treatments typically take the same amount of time since they focus on specific pest issues.
Actually, each quarterly service is specifically designed for seasonal pest activity.
For example:
Winter services target overwintering pests like dirt daubers and spider nests.
Spring services include insect growth regulators that prevent insect development for up to 9 months.
Summer services focus on pests like scorpions.
Fall services target pests such as crickets.
Skipping a treatment reduces the overall effectiveness of the annual pest control program.
For exterior treatments, you should trim grass and weeds, make sure gates are unlocked, and remove children’s toys, pet toys, pet food and water bowls from the areas to be treated. It also helps to clear clutter from the walls and around doors and windows for interior treatments.
For recurring services, we automatically schedule your next appointment based on your requests and at a time when we have other clients close to you to service. This allows us to keep our fuel costs and travel times at a reasonable level and save you money. We have only raised prices once in 10 years! You will be notified of your next automatically scheduled service by text or email 3 days before the service. Please add [email protected] to your list of contacts to ensure you receive your reminders as they sometimes get passed to junk folders through certain providers. If the time of your automatically scheduled appointment is inconvenient, you may reschedule for another time by requesting a change at least 24 hrs in advance.
In this part of Texas, the most common household pests are: Crazy Ants, Rover Ants, Ghost Ants, Sugar Ants, Little Black Ants, Acrobat Ants, Fire Ants, Odorous House Ants, Black Widow Spiders, Brown Recluse Spiders, Wolf Spiders, Cellar Spiders, House Spiders, Ground Beetles, Scorpions, Earwigs, Crickets, American Cockroaches, Oriental Cockroaches, Smoky Brown Cockroaches, German Cockroaches, Silverfish, Centipedes, Millipedes, Paper Wasps, Pillbugs, and Springtails.
Yes, we perform a brief inspection for termites and conditions that may attract termites during the assessment. However, this is not a substitute for a full Termite Inspection Service.
Results depend on the type of pest and treatment.
Most pest problems show results almost immediately, with full control within 7 to 10 days.
Mosquito treatments usually show full results within a few hours.
Flea treatments show immediate improvement but may require additional maintenance to prevent reinfestation
The textbook definition of Integrated Pest Management states that it is a pest control strategy that relies on accurate identification and scientific knowledge of target pests, reliable monitoring to assess pest presence, and preventative measures (including judicious pesticide use) to correct pest problems. We have a blog post on our website that has a lot more information on Integrated Pest Management. We take a scientific approach to everything we do making every attempt to reduce our reliance on pesticides.
PerimeterGard was created by Entomologist and Founder Dr. Scott Lingren. This pest management system uses scientific knowledge of pests to determine the best methods to use during different times of year to achieve maximum control using outside only perimeter treatments. Rather than treating inside your house every time, which is completely unnecessary and unhealthy, we treat inside on the first visit and then again only if the outside treatment fails. Indoor treatments are complimentary, if they are ever needed. The overall result for you is better indoor air quality and year round protection from pests without the hassle of meeting a service person at your house every 3 months.
The first step is to eliminate entry points they may use to enter your house. We use a black non-expanding foam or copper wool to close off all the likely entry points during the first HomeGard, HomeGard Plus, or TotalGard visit. The next step is using rodenticide in tamper-proof bait stations. We use bromethalin as our choice in rodenticide since it is the only one without secondary poisoning potential, making it the safest to use around pets that may encounter any dead rodents.
This unique system combines an annual detailed visual inspection with in-ground monitoring stations to detect termites before they can damage your house. If termites are found, HomeGard Plus and TotalGard customers receive a discounted rate on termite elimination with our proven TermiteShield treatment.
We treat the entire perimeter of the house and the bath traps using Fipronil to completely shield the house against termite invasion and damage. The active ingredient Fipronil has consistently provided the greatest levels of termite control in tests performed by the US Forest Service. It's also the active ingredient in Frontline that is used on pets to protect against fleas. Fipronil's outstanding efficacy against termites results from the inability of termites to detect it in the soil. Termites that encounter the treatment transfer it to the rest of the colony, eliminating the queen and the colony within about 90 days. This treatment usually costs about $7.00 per linear perimeter foot. HomeGard and TotalGard Customers will receive at 30% discount to $4.90 per linear perimeter foot on treatment, if it's needed.
We use a gas-powered backpack mist blower to apply insecticide each month from April to October to mosquito resting areas in your yard such as fences, foliage, walls and eaves. Our mist blower allows us to get the coverage we need to gain control with around 4 gallons of finished spray for most yards. The pyrethroid insecticide we use is based on naturally occurring pyrethrins and is incredibly effective at killing and repeling mosquitoes. To “rain-guard” our application we also add a surfactant that protects the application from the rain so that you can still rely on its efficacy even if it has rained since your last treatment. We typically expect 85-90% reduction in mosquito bites for 3 weeks after each treatment.
Our primary method of controlling fire ants is a granular bait. Fire ants LOVE our bait and once applied it will kill the entire colony, including the queen. This method also allows us to reduce the cost of our service by using the absolute minimal amount of insecticide possible. In fact, our bait reduces insecticide use by 90% – we only need to use about 1 pound of bait per acre once per year. Any mounds that pop up after that, which are very few, we spot treat each quarter with either bait or a contact insecticide.
The same product that is very effective on termites is also very effective on carpenter ants - fipronil. If we find carpenter ants during our visit on the HomeGard, HomeGard Plus, or TotalGard plan, we will treat their trail with fipronil. They carry it back to the colony and eliminate the queen. This is effective with an outside application, even if you are seeing them inside.
Our mosquito treatment is fairly effective against fleas. However, to make it more effective, we add an environmentally friendly insect growth regulator in the Spring application. This stops flea larvae from developing into adults and is active for up to 9 months after application.
All products are applied according to the pesticide label in a safe and conscientious manner. Where possible, we use products that have Reduced Risk Status with the EPA. We also use baits when appropriate, as baits reduce the amount of active ingredient needed to gain control by 90% or more. All our programs were developed by our entomologist, Dr. Scott Lingren, using the concept of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM is an ecological approach to pest management that takes into account scientific knowledge and identification of the pests as well as the risks and benefits of pest management actions, giving you the most effective and safest pest control strategies available. In fact, a 2002 research study demonstrated that IPM strategies reduced pesticide use by more than 90% – while remaining incredibly effective.Our Field Service Experts are trained to avoid treating gardens, herbs, toys, pet dishes, etc.
No. Our insecticides are designed to target pests and will not harm your plants when applied correctly.
Bird cages, fish tanks, and reptile terrariums should be covered during treatment.
Other pets can remain out as long as they stay calm and out of the technician’s way. We recommend kenneling overly curious or territorial pets during the service.
Please also remove pet toys, bowls, and dishes from treatment areas.
We typically go inside during the Initial Pest Control service and Termite Inspections.
For mosquito control and basic pest control services, interior access is usually not required. Many customers prefer exterior-only service and experience excellent results.
If interior access is needed, you can leave us a key, provide a garage code, or meet us on site. Indoor treatments generally take no more than 10 minutes.
You only need to leave during indoor flea or bed bug treatments.
For all other services, simply stay off treated areas until the application dries, which usually takes about 20 minutes.
We accept almost every payment method including:
Major credit and debit cards (including American Express)
Bank direct draft
Cash
Checks
We also offer a secure online payment portal for convenient online payments.
Venus Pest Company was founded in 2001 when Dr. Scott Lingren opened the company’s office in Bryan/College Station. We have proudly served Aggieland ever since.
Since our founding, we have been pioneers in developing effective and safe pest treatment services. All of the pest control programs utilized by Venus Pest Company were personally developed and perfected by our president, Dr. Scott Lingren.
