The rule that comes first
Under the Arkansas Pest Control Law (Act 488 of 1975), anyone performing pest control for pay in Arkansas, including treating buildings for termites, roaches or ants, must hold a license or certification from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. Ask any company for its license number and the name of the person responsible for the work, and check it with the department before a technician treats your home.
Termites: know which ones you're dealing with
Subterranean termites live in the soil and travel into wood through mud tubes. In 2025 the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture reported that extension agents along the state's southern and eastern borders were joining a study tracking the invasive Formosan subterranean termite, which its entomologist called probably the most destructive termite pest in the country. That monitoring is focused far from Northwest Arkansas, but it is a reminder that termite pressure varies, and identification matters. If you see swarmers indoors in spring, save a few in a sealed bag for the inspector.
When you compare termite proposals, ask:
- Is it a liquid soil treatment, a bait system, or both?
- What does the inspection cover, including the crawlspace, attached decks and the garage slab edge?
- What does the contract promise: retreatment only, or repair of new damage too?
- How often are follow-up inspections, and what do renewals cost?
A humid season for insects
Fayetteville summers are long and muggy; NOAA counts about 768 hours a year when Drake Field's wet-bulb temperature is above 73°F. Moisture draws roaches, ants, silverfish and many wood-destroying pests. Before paying for repeated treatments, fix the moisture: crawlspace vapor barriers, gutters that drain away from the foundation, dryer and bath fans that vent outside, and no mulch piled against the siding. A good technician will point these out and tell you which problems treatment alone won't solve.
Living on the Ozark edge
Fayetteville sits in the Ozark Mountains, and a house that backs onto woods gets more contact with wildlife, from mice and squirrels in attics to the occasional snake. Rodent work is about exclusion: sealing gaps, vents and rooflines so animals can't get back in. Ask whether the company does exclusion itself, how it will check traps, and what it will do with any animal it catches.
Treatments and your household
Ask for the name of every product used and its label, especially if you have children, pets, a vegetable garden or a well. Ask how long to stay off treated surfaces and whether the technician will treat inside the house or only the exterior perimeter. Integrated pest management, which starts with inspection and exclusion and uses targeted treatments, generally means fewer chemicals over time.
Before you sign
Read service agreements closely: how long they run, how to cancel, and what triggers extra charges. For termite contracts, keep the original graph or diagram of the treatment, since you'll want it if you sell the house.