Around the Block Pest Control

10/13/2026

Cool nights around McKinney, Allen, Plano, and Prosper push mice looking for a warmer place to live. A garage corner gap, a pipe pe*******on, or a branch touching the roof can be all the invitation they need.

This week's post is a walk-around checklist you can do this weekend — outside first, then inside:
- Garage door corners and the bottom seal (look for daylight)
- Gaps around utility lines
- Roofline, soffits, and attic vents
- Trees and shrubs touching the house
- Pet food, bird seed, and trash
- Firewood stacked against the foundation
- Then the attic, pantry, and behind appliances

Honest note: rodents are NOT part of our quarterly plan. Rodent control is its own service — inspection, trapping, and exclusion.

The full checklist is on our website blog (search Around the Block Pest Control).

If you'd like us to take a look, request a free estimate on our website, or call or text (469) 340-0200.

— John

10/11/2026

Weekend tip: take 30 seconds tonight and look at the bottom of your garage door. If you can see daylight under the rubber seal, crickets can get through. Replacing a worn seal is a quick, inexpensive fix. While you're out there, switch off porch and garage lights you don't need. Crickets follow the light, and spiders follow the crickets.

More fall cricket tips: https://www.aroundtheblockpest.com/blog/crickets-in-your-mckinney-home-fall-tips

— John, Around the Block Pest Control

10/06/2026

Walked into a giant web on the porch this morning? You're not the only one.

Every fall, folks around McKinney, Allen, Frisco, and Prosper start seeing big round webs on porches and eaves, and wolf spiders running across the garage floor. Most of these spiders are just a nuisance. Two are worth being careful with: the black widow (shiny black, red hourglass underneath) and the brown recluse (violin-shaped mark on top, hides in garages and storage).

A few things I'd tell a neighbor:
- Wear gloves when you dig through the garage, shed, or woodpile
- Shake out shoes and boxes that have been sitting in the garage
- Go easy on porch lights. Fewer bugs means less for spiders to eat
- Swap cardboard boxes for plastic bins with lids
- Knock down webs on the eaves with a long-handled broom

Full post, with how to tell the four common spiders apart: https://www.aroundtheblockpest.com/blog/fall-spiders-collin-county-mckinney

If you'd rather hand it off, spiders are included in our quarterly plan, with eave de-webbing on our visits and free retreatments if they come back in between. Request a free estimate online here: https://www.aroundtheblockpest.com/request-pest-control-estimate. Or call or text (469) 340-0200.

— John

09/30/2026

Hearing chirping behind the washer again? You're not the only one.

Every fall, crickets show up in big numbers across North Texas, and McKinney, Allen, Frisco, and Prosper are no exception. They're most active from dusk to dawn, they love a bright porch light, and it doesn't take much of a gap for them to end up in the garage or laundry room.

I put together a quick guide with the things I'd tell a neighbor:
- Go easy on outdoor lights, or swap to warm or yellow bulbs by the doors
- Check the rubber seal under your garage door (daylight = cricket door)
- Add door sweeps and fix worn weather-stripping
- Pull mulch back from the foundation and trim shrubs off the walls
- Don't seal your brick weep holes — they're there to let moisture out

Full post here: https://www.aroundtheblockpest.com/blog/crickets-in-your-mckinney-home-fall-tips

And if you'd rather hand it off, crickets are included in our quarterly plan, with free retreatments if they come back between visits. Request a free estimate online here: https://www.aroundtheblockpest.com/request-pest-control-estimate

— John

10/15/2025

Check out our blog post on controlling Pharaoh Ants!

Kick Pharaoh Ants (Sugar Ants) Out of Your North Texas Kitchen with These Easy Tips

https://www.aroundtheblockpest.com/blog/kick-pharaoh-ants-(sugar-ants)-out-of-your-north-texas-kitchen-with-these-easy-tips

Don't let ants live in your house rent free.
Call us at:
(469) 200-0011

Discover effective ways to control Pharaoh ants (sugar ants) on your North Dallas property with Around the Block Pest Control’s latest guide. Regularly cleaning surfaces and sealing electrical outlets in spring and summer prevents infestations and reduces local ant populations. This post offers sa...

10/06/2025

Check out our blog post on controlling Paper Wasps!

Sweep Away Paper Wasps: A Simple Trick for North Dallas Homeowners

https://www.aroundtheblockpest.com/blog/sweep-away-paper-wasps-a-simple-trick-for-north-dallas-homeowners

Have a wasp nest you'd rather not deal with? Call us at:

(469) 200-0011

11/25/2023

Ants in your leftovers?

Call today and get $50 off your initial service!
469-209-5044

10/02/2023

October special! Free rodent bait box with quarterly service, starting at $109.

08/08/2023

Do you know someone who needs a part-time job?

We are hiring people to put out flyers in Frisco and Plano, TX. Join are team and advertise for Around the Block Pest Control!

Need some exercise?

Love the North Dallas sun?

Want to catch up on your favorite podcast?

Interested in making $10-$17 per hour?

DM now for more info!

07/24/2023

Pest Control plans for most homes at $109 per quarter (3 months).

Call Allen at 469-209-5044 to get $25 off your first service!