Pest control in Texas is regulated by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) under the Texas Structural Pest Control Act. The Texas Pest Control License (TPCL) system requires separate certifications for general pest, termite, lawn and ornamental, and other categories. At the federal level, EPA pesticide registration decisions — including recent reviews of neonicotinoids, chlorpyrifos, and organophosphates — directly impact which products Texas applicators can legally use. We track TDA enforcement actions, EPA Federal Register notices, and legislative bills affecting the pest control industry in Texas.
TDA issues roughly 200+ enforcement actions per year against pest control operators for violations ranging from unlicensed application to improper storage. EPA pesticide cancellations can eliminate products that entire business models depend on — the 2021 chlorpyrifos food-use ban affected thousands of agricultural applicators. For consumers, understanding licensing requirements helps verify that their pest control provider operates legally. Texas tenant rights regarding pest control obligations vary by lease terms and local ordinances, with no statewide implied warranty of habitability statute. Our coverage translates dense regulatory language into practical implications for both operators and consumers.
18 articles in this category
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension will hold a virtual school IPM coordinator course Aug. 18, the first since a 2026 rule extended the state mandate to publicly funded charter schools.
Pesticide registrants face fast-approaching July 31 deadline to report Spanish-language bilingual labeling compliance through EPA's MyPeST platform for restricted-use and agricultural products.
Lawmakers from both parties introduce legislation to require cancer warnings on pesticide labels, responding to a Supreme Court decision that shielded manufacturers from liability.
Environmental groups accuse EPA of industry capture after agency altered PFAS toxicity criteria to approve additional 'forever chemical' pesticides for agricultural use.
Center for Biological Diversity reveals EPA officials overhauled pesticide webpage same day CropLife America submitted paper arguing against stricter forever chemical regulations.
EPA proposes registrations for six new herbicides including diflufenican, epyrifenacil, and trifludimoxazin to help farmers control resistant weeds in corn, soybeans, and wheat.
EPA approves trifludimoxazin, diflufenican, and epyrifenacil—three persistent PFAS pesticides—for use on wheat, corn, soybeans, and citrus despite environmental concerns.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announces major crackdown on illegal pesticide smuggling at California ports, with China identified as the leading source of dangerous counterfeit products.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announces major crackdown on illegal pesticide smuggling, with China identified as the primary source of dangerous counterfeit products entering U.S. markets.