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Texas’ 5 star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Trusted Name in Pest Protection

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MOSQUITO CONTROL IN CROCKETT, PALESTINE & EAST TEXAS

Mosquito Duo Defense — Take Back Your Yard

Mosquitoes in East Texas aren’t just annoying. They’re relentless. The warm climate, humidity, and abundant water sources in this part of Texas create near-perfect breeding conditions from March through October — and some years longer.

If you’ve tried the big box store foggers, citronella candles, or the remedies people swear by online, you already know they don’t work. Not because mosquitoes are impossible to control — but because those approaches only address part of the problem.

We use a three-part system that hits mosquitoes where they live, where they breed, and in the water before they ever become adults. That’s the difference.

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Why Mosquitoes Are So Bad in East Texas

East Texas gives mosquitoes everything they need: warm temperatures, high humidity, and plenty of water. After a rain event, populations can explode within days — larvae develop into biting adults in as little as a week under warm conditions.

There’s also a biology factor most people don’t know: Aedes mosquitoes — the aggressive daytime biters — can lay eggs in semi-dry conditions. Those eggs lie dormant for months or even years, then hatch when water returns. That’s why pressure spikes immediately after rain even on treated properties. The eggs were already there, waiting.

The species we deal with most around here fall into two groups:

Container Breeders — The Ones Getting You During the Day

The Asian tiger mosquito is the aggressive daytime biter most East Texas residents know well — black and white striped, relentless, bites while you’re mowing or sitting on the porch in the afternoon. It breeds in very small water sources. A bottle cap. A flower pot saucer. A tarp fold. It rarely travels more than a few hundred feet from where it hatched, which means most of the mosquitoes attacking you came from your own property or an immediate neighbor.

Permanent Water Breeders — The Ones Getting You at Dusk

The southern Culex mosquito is your primary nighttime and dusk biter. It breeds in ditches, storm drains, and standing water with organic matter — the kind of water common near wooded lots, low-lying properties, and properties near Lake Livingston, Lake Conroe, or Houston County Lake. Culex is also the primary carrier of West Nile virus in East Texas.

What This Means

Two species. Two different behaviors. Two different breeding habitats. A single spray approach doesn’t solve the problem. You have to address both adults and the breeding cycle simultaneously.

 

Mosquitoes Are More Than a Nuisance

In East Texas, mosquitoes are a genuine health concern for your family and your pets.

 

West Nile Virus

West Nile is active in our area. It’s transmitted by Culex mosquitoes that feed on infected birds, then bite humans. Most people have no symptoms, but the elderly and immunocompromised can develop serious neurological illness. There is no vaccine and no approved treatment. Keeping mosquito populations low on your property reduces your family’s exposure risk.

Dog Heartworm

Heartworm is transmitted by mosquito bite and is common in East Texas. It’s often fatal in dogs that aren’t on monthly preventative. If your dog isn’t on heartworm prevention, talk to your vet. Reducing mosquito pressure around your home reduces exposure for your pets as well as your family.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis

EEE is present along the Gulf Coast and can affect humans and horses. If you have horses on your property, mosquito control is part of protecting your livestock too. Encephalitis outbreaks in horses in an area are considered a warning sign for potential human risk.

 

How the Mosquito Duo Defense Works

Most companies spray and hope. We use a three-part integrated system that addresses adult mosquitoes, the breeding population, and standing water simultaneously. All three layers work together and keep working between visits.

Part 1 — Barrier Treatment

Adult mosquitoes spend most of their time resting, not flying. They hide in vegetation, under decks, along fence lines, in the shaded understory of trees. That’s where we treat.

We apply a professional-grade barrier treatment by backpack mist blower to all vegetation, ornamentals, fence lines, under decks and porches, building foundations, and the bottom 20 feet of trees on the property. The product kills mosquitoes on contact and leaves a residual that continues working between monthly visits.

We use a dual-mode-of-action formula for resistance management. Many consumer products use a single chemistry over and over, which eventually stops working as populations adapt. Rotating modes of action prevents that.

Part 2 — In2Care Mosquito Stations

This is what separates our program from a standard spray service.

We place In2Care stations in shaded, vegetated areas around your property. These stations attract egg-laying female mosquitoes. When a female enters, she contacts a treated surface inside and picks up a larvicide and a slow-acting biological agent on her body and legs.

She flies out carrying both. Because mosquitoes naturally spread their eggs across multiple breeding sites, she contaminates several of those sites with larvicide before the biological agent kills her within a few days. The larvae at those sites die before they can develop into biting adults.

The key advantage: the system reaches breeding sites that are physically impossible to locate or treat — a damp leaf, a gap in a fence post, a container on a neighbor’s property. Every treated female becomes a delivery system. Control builds over the season rather than resetting each month.

Stations are serviced and refreshed every four weeks. Between visits, they keep working around the clock.

Part 3 — Altosid Standing Water Treatment (When Conditions Warrant)

When we identify standing water that can’t be eliminated — ornamental ponds, drainage depressions, catch basins — we place sustained-release growth regulators directly in the water. These prevent larvae from developing into adults for up to 30 days and are safe for fish, pets, and wildlife at application rates.

We also advise you on source elimination where possible. Removing a breeding site permanently is always more effective than treating it repeatedly.

What to Expect After Treatment

First 24–48 Hours

The barrier treatment works fast. Most customers notice a significant reduction in adult activity within a day or two of the first treatment.

First Two Weeks

The In2Care system takes a little longer to show its full effect because it’s working on the next generation, not the current one. As treated females contaminate breeding sites and larvae die before emerging, pressure continues to drop progressively.

Ongoing Through the Season

Monthly service keeps constant pressure on the population. Mosquitoes continuously move in from surrounding properties, fields, ditches, and wooded areas — that’s unavoidable in East Texas. The goal isn’t to eliminate every mosquito. It’s to keep pressure low enough that your yard is actually usable.

Most customers tell us they can finally sit on their porch, let the kids play outside, and have people over without everyone getting swarmed. That’s what success looks like.

 

Standing Water — Your Biggest Mosquito Magnet

Mosquitoes need water to breed. Even tiny amounts — a bottle cap holds enough to produce dozens of mosquitoes. We identify problem areas on every visit. The most common sources:

• Clogged or slow gutters — one of the most overlooked breeding sites on any property
• Flower pot saucers and decorative containers
• Old tires, buckets, or anything left outside holding water
• Low spots in the lawn that hold water after rain
• Bird baths that aren’t changed weekly
• Tarps, outdoor furniture covers, or kids’ toys
• Ornamental ponds without circulation
• Tree holes and stumps holding water

Eliminating these makes treatment significantly more effective. We can treat all day, but a property with active breeding habitat will always have pressure. Source elimination and treatment work together.

Different Mosquitoes, Same Problem

Asian Tiger Mosquito

Aggressive daytime biter. Black and white striped. Breeds in any container holding water, no matter how small. Rarely travels more than a few hundred feet from its hatching site. If you’re getting hit during the day, the breeding site is almost certainly on your property or an immediate neighbor’s.

Southern Culex Mosquito

The primary West Nile vector in East Texas. Active at night and around dusk. Breeds in permanent water with organic matter — ditches, storm drains, polluted pools. More common near lakes, wooded acreage, and rural properties. Can travel a mile or more from breeding sites.

Both species respond to our treatment approach. We don’t need to identify which one you have — we’re hitting all of them.

 

Mosquito Control Near Lakes and Wooded Areas

If your property is near Lake Livingston, Lake Conroe, Houston County Lake, or you have wooded acreage or pasture, mosquito pressure is higher than a standard subdivision lot. That’s just the reality of the environment.

We adjust treatment placement and approach based on your specific conditions. A lakefront home or a property backing up to timber needs different coverage than a suburban lot. We’ve been treating across Trinity County, Houston County, Montgomery County, and everywhere in between since 2006. We know what works in different environments.

Mosquito Control and Your Pets

Mosquitoes are a health threat to your pets. Heartworm is transmitted by mosquito bite and is common throughout East Texas. Make sure your dogs and cats are on veterinary-prescribed heartworm preventative year-round. Reducing mosquito pressure around your home reduces exposure for your whole family — two-legged and four-legged.

Our treatment is safe for pets and people once treated areas are dry — typically 30 to 60 minutes after application. Keep pets inside during treatment. Standing water treatments are safe for fish and wildlife at labeled application rates.

What Doesn’t Work — And Why

Bug Zappers

Bug zappers kill insects attracted to UV light — mostly moths and beetles, not mosquitoes. Field studies have shown they have no meaningful impact on mosquito populations or biting activity. Save your money.

Citronella Candles and Torches

Provide minimal protection in a very small area directly around the flame. No effect on populations. Not a treatment, just a temporary personal deterrent under ideal conditions.

Consumer Foggers and Bombs

Kill adults on contact but have no residual, no larvicidal effect, and no reach into the resting areas where most mosquitoes spend their time. Pressure returns within days. Some products are repellent-based, which can actually scatter mosquitoes to surrounding areas and back again.

Home Remedies

Dryer sheets, essential oils, garlic spray, mouthwash — none of these have been shown to meaningfully reduce mosquito populations or biting activity. The internet is full of suggestions. Professional treatment is what actually works.

When to Start (and Stop) Mosquito Service

Mosquito season in East Texas typically runs March through October. Some years start earlier with a warm spring, some years run into November.

We recommend starting in March — before populations build — so control is in place before peak season. It’s much easier to maintain low pressure than to knock down an established population mid-summer.

No long-term contract required. Most customers run service March through September or October and stop when it cools off.

Need a One-Time Treatment for an Event?

If you’re hosting a wedding, graduation party, or outdoor gathering, we can do a one-time barrier treatment a day or two before. It knocks down adult activity for your event. Just know it’s temporary — without ongoing service, pressure returns within a week or two as new adults emerge and move in from surrounding areas. But for a specific event, it works well.

Why Our Approach Works Better

Most companies spray vegetation and move on. That handles visible adults but does nothing about the breeding population, which recharges within days under East Texas conditions.

The Duo Defense hits adults with the barrier treatment, attacks the breeding cycle with In2Care stations, and knocks out standing water larvae with Altosid when conditions warrant. The In2Care stations reach breeding sites no spray program can access.

Control builds over the season. Integrated approach, science-based products, consistent application.

We’ve been eliminating mosquitoes across East Texas since 2006. We know what works here.

 

Get Mosquito Control Now

Call us at (936) 546-7493 and let’s take your yard back.

Call (936) 546-7493
Serving East Texas since 2006. We know what works here.

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Let’s Get Started

Connect & Schedule

Your protection starts with a simple conversation.


Our friendly customer service team listens to your concerns, answers questions, and helps schedule an inspection or service visit at your convenience.

Inspection & Diagnosis

We Identify the Source


Our certified technicians perform a detailed inspection of your property — inside and out. We identify pest types, entry points, and contributing conditions to determine exactly what’s happening and why.

Customized Treatment

Science-Based Targeted Solution

Using proven Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles, we design a treatment plan tailored to your home, pest type, and environment. We use precision applications — not overuse — to ensure safe, effective, and lasting results.

Guaranteed Results

Professional Service Guaranteed


Our trained specialists apply targeted treatments using the latest tools and environmentally responsible products.
 We treat interior and exterior zones, eliminate nests and harborage areas, and establish a protective barrier around your home.

Certified Local Expertise

Family-Focused Service

Guaranteed Results

WHY CHOOSE US

Why Homeowners Across East Texas Trust Critter Gitters

Science-Based Solutions, Never Guesswork

Reflects your belief that true pest control starts with understanding, not guessing. Drawn from your Integrated Pest Management (IPM) philosophy and “Precision Over Routine.”

We lead with honesty and reliability. At Critter Gitters, integrity means fair pricing, clear communication, and doing the job right the first time—every time.

Our technicians undergo continuous training that goes beyond industry requirements, ensuring every service is performed with expert knowledge, precision, and the latest pest control techniques.

Our team is fully licensed and certified, bringing proven expertise to every job. You can trust Critter Gitters for safe, professional, and effective pest control backed by years of experience.

Your satisfaction is our promise. If pests return or you’re not completely happy, we’ll come back and make it right—no excuses, no extra cost.

Pest control technician using a backpack sprayer on the exterior window trim of a residential home.

About Us

Four Critter Gitters staff members standing in front of a branded black service truck in a field.

Critter Gitters

Built on Experience, and a Promise to Protect

Family-owned and operated since 2006, Critter Gitters Pest Management has proudly served East Texas with trusted, science-based pest control solutions that protect homes, families, and peace of mind. Founded by Joey Baker, our company was built on the belief that true pest control starts with understanding the problem — not just treating the symptoms.

Experience the Critter Gitters Difference

When you choose Critter Gitters, you’re choosing more than a pest control company — you’re partnering with certified professionals dedicated to protecting your home, health, and comfort with integrity and care.

Our Expertise = Your Peace of Mind.

Our process begins with inspection and diagnosis, not quick fixes. By combining scientific precision, advanced training, and eco-conscious practices, we deliver results that last — not treatments that repeat.

, ACE

Owner & Founder

Packages

Bundle and Save 10% when you add Mosquito Duo Defense or Lawn & Ornamental to any package.

Package Includes

Essential Plan

Essential

Proven protection for everyday peace of mind.

Premium Plan

Premium

Enhanced protection. Expanded peace of mind.

Elite Plan

Elite

Complete coverage. Ultimate peace of mind.

Ants (Argentine, Rover & Odorous House)

Roaches (Peridomestic species)

Spiders, Millipedes, Centipedes, Crickets, Earwigs, Silverfish, Ground Beetles, Pill Bugs, and other occasional invaders

Interior and exterior treatments every 3 months

Targeted crack, crevice, and perimeter applications

Web and wasp nest removal up to 15 ft

Guaranteed re-service between visits if pests return

Rodent monitoring and exterior bait stations

Wasp nest removal up to 30 ft

Fire Ant treatment up to 20,000 sq ft

Full Sentricon® Termite Monitoring System

Carpenter Ant treatment

Additional Services

Need more than standard pest control? Our advanced services deliver customized protection for complex infestations, long-term prevention, and total peace of mind.

FAQ’s

Common Questions from Our Customers

Pest control technician using a backpack sprayer on the exterior window trim of a residential home.
What pests are covered in your Essential Plan?

Our Essential Plan covers the most common household pests, including ants, spiders, roaches, silverfish, and occasional rodents. This plan is designed to provide year-round protection for your home and prevent infestations before they become a problem.

The Premium Plan offers comprehensive protection beyond the Essential Plan, including coverage for termites and carpenter ant control. It’s the total defense solution for your home and property.

Yes! We provide full termite control and inspection services. Our experts use advanced detection methods and safe, effective treatments to protect your home from termite damage and prevent future infestations.

Absolutely! All our treatments are family- and pet-safe. We use environmentally friendly products and methods that effectively eliminate pests while keeping your loved ones and pets safe.

Yes! You can easily add mosquito or lawn care services to any of our pest control plans. This lets you enjoy complete protection for your home and yard, all in one convenient package.

We proudly serve Houston County and surrounding areas, providing reliable pest control services to both residential and commercial properties. If you’re unsure whether we cover your location, just contact us — we’re happy to help!

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