---
title: "Is The Bug Master legit?"
description: "The Bug Master holds a current company pesticide license in Texas and a BBB grade of A+. It scores 8.8 out of 10 and ranks #6 of 164 in the West."
url: "https://handshakereviews.com/companies/the-bug-master/legit"
markdown_url: "https://handshakereviews.com/companies/the-bug-master/legit.md"
updated: "2026-11-03"
site: "Handshake D2D News & Reviews"
---

# Is The Bug Master legit?

By [Uri Mittelman](https://handshakereviews.com/authors/uri-mittelman.md), Editor · Research and verification: Handshake Research Desk · Updated November 3, 2026

[Review](https://handshakereviews.com/companies/the-bug-master.md) · Is it legit? · [How to cancel](https://handshakereviews.com/companies/the-bug-master/cancel.md) · [Compare](https://handshakereviews.com/compare/sureguard-lawn-and-pest-vs-the-bug-master.md)

**Answer:** As of November 3, 2026, The Bug Master holds a current company pesticide license in Texas. Its BBB profile shows an A+ grade and 3 complaints in the last three years. No resolved government actions count against it in our scoring. Its Handshake Score is 8.8 out of 10, #6 of 164 in the West.

## Licenses

Company pesticide licenses in each state where it has a location, with the status the issuing agency showed on the date retrieved.

- **Texas** Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) Structural Pest Control Service: Commercial Business License (sources [27](https://texasagriculture.gov/Portals/0/Reports/PIR/spcs_commercial_business.csv)) _Status: Active (listed on TDA current-licenses report) · Number TPCL 0566854 · Expires 07/31/2027_
- **Texas** Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) Structural Pest Control Service: Commercial Business License (sources [27](https://texasagriculture.gov/Portals/0/Reports/PIR/spcs_commercial_business.csv)) _Status: Active (listed on TDA current-licenses report) · Number TPCL 0566852 · Expires 07/31/2027_
- **Texas** Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) Structural Pest Control Service: Commercial Business License (sources [27](https://texasagriculture.gov/Portals/0/Reports/PIR/spcs_commercial_business.csv)) _Status: Active (listed on TDA current-licenses report) · Number TPCL 0779874 · Expires 02/28/2027_

## Better Business Bureau record

- Its BBB profile shows an A+ grade and 3 complaints in the last three years. BBB accredited since 4/1/1988. (sources [3](https://www.bbb.org/us/tx/austin/profile/pest-control/the-bug-master-0825-42185), [9](https://www.bbb.org/us/tx/austin/profile/pest-control/the-bug-master-0825-42185/complaints), [26](https://www.bbb.org/search?find_country=USA&find_text=bug%20master&find_loc=Austin%2C%20TX&find_type=Category)) [Full BBB record](https://handshakereviews.com/companies/the-bug-master.md)

## What customers say

Ratings and counts as each site showed them on the date retrieved.

- **Google** 6,516 reviews across 10 western US listings, averaging 4.9 out of 5 (weighted by review count). (sources [12](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=7206986043702492228), [13](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=6028918705393892221), [14](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=4073801191974946376), [15](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=14017124013393448403), [16](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=4181606950180633270), [17](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=5775118534021331056))
- **Yelp** 3.5 out of 5 from 82 reviews (Austin, Texas). (sources [24](https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-bug-master-austin-8), [25](https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Bug+Control&find_loc=Austin%2C+TX)) _Retrieved October 27, 2026_

Review excerpts and the themes customers raise are on the company’s review page.

## Legal and regulatory record

Only resolved government actions count toward the score. Pending lawsuits, private suits and allegations are listed as such; they are allegations, not findings.

- TDA enforcement case 00049359 against TPCL 0566854 (Austin business license): violations “WORKING OUT OF CATEGORY” and “OTHER”; agency action WARNING, no penalty; date final 08/21/2026. A warning with no penalty is not a resolved government penalty and is not scored. (sources [29](https://texasagriculture.gov/Portals/0/Reports/PIR/spcs_enforcement.xls)) _August 21, 2026 · Texas (Texas Department of Agriculture, Structural Pest Control Service) · Enforcement · Not scored_
- Abash Exterminating sued a former employee to enforce his employment agreement, then added Bug Master Exterminating Service, Inc. as a defendant, alleging interference with business relations and unfair competition by using Abash’s trade secrets obtained when Bug Master hired him; Abash later nonsuited Bug Master. Bug Master appealed the denial of its sanctions motion; the court affirmed (12/31/2002). Private business dispute, resolved, over 20 years old; not scored. (sources [30](https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2864479/bug-master-exterminating-service-inc-v-abash-exter/)) _December 31, 2002 · Texas, Third Court of Appeals (Austin); Travis County 261st District Court No. 99-00846 · Lawsuit · Not scored_
- Home buyers who found termites after closing sued the sellers, realtors and others, including Bug Master Exterminating Service, Inc., which had done the FHA termite inspection on closing day and found no termites. The appeal concerns the sellers only; the outcome of the claim against Bug Master is not shown. Private, about 29 years old; not scored. (sources [31](https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2860800/cary-psencik-and-debra-psencik-v-sheldon-sheveland/)) _June 26, 1997 · Texas, Third Court of Appeals (Austin), No. 03-96-00574-CV · Lawsuit · Not scored_

Three other records (complaint summaries and permits) are on its review page.

## Does it sell door to door?

- N/A: the research didn’t establish door-to-door selling. It isn’t proof that the company never knocks. [Sales evidence](https://handshakereviews.com/companies/the-bug-master.md)

## How it ranks

- **#6 of 164 in the West** Handshake Score 8.8 out of 10, High confidence. Strongest: licensing and compliance (10.0/10). Weakest: sales and contract fairness (8.5/10). [How we scored it](https://handshakereviews.com/companies/the-bug-master.md) · [Full rankings](https://handshakereviews.com/rankings/pest-control-west.md) · [Bulwark Exterminating vs. The Bug Master](https://handshakereviews.com/compare/bulwark-exterminating-vs-the-bug-master.md) · [ClearDefense Pest Control vs. The Bug Master](https://handshakereviews.com/compare/cleardefense-pest-control-vs-the-bug-master.md) · [Sureguard Lawn & Pest vs. The Bug Master](https://handshakereviews.com/compare/sureguard-lawn-and-pest-vs-the-bug-master.md)

## Pest control in Texas

- [#17 of 58 in Texas](https://handshakereviews.com/rankings/pest-control-texas.md): [Houston area](https://handshakereviews.com/pest-control/houston.md), [San Antonio area](https://handshakereviews.com/pest-control/san-antonio.md), [Austin area](https://handshakereviews.com/pest-control/austin.md), [Killeen area](https://handshakereviews.com/pest-control/killeen.md) and 1 more

## Similar companies in Texas

- [Killum Pest Control](https://handshakereviews.com/companies/killum-pest-control.md) · #15 of 58 · State Score 8.5 · [Is it legit? (Killum Pest Control)](https://handshakereviews.com/companies/killum-pest-control/legit.md)
- [Romex Pest & Termite Control](https://handshakereviews.com/companies/romex-pest-and-termite-control.md) · #16 of 58 · State Score 8.4 · [Is it legit? (Romex Pest & Termite Control)](https://handshakereviews.com/companies/romex-pest-and-termite-control/legit.md)
- [Forterra Pest Control](https://handshakereviews.com/companies/forterra-pest-control.md) · #18 of 58 · State Score 8.4 · [Is it legit? (Forterra Pest Control)](https://handshakereviews.com/companies/forterra-pest-control/legit.md)
- [EnviroCon Pest Control](https://handshakereviews.com/companies/envirocon-pest-control.md) · #19 of 58 · State Score 8.4 · [Is it legit? (EnviroCon Pest Control)](https://handshakereviews.com/companies/envirocon-pest-control/legit.md)

## Related

- [The Bug Master review](https://handshakereviews.com/companies/the-bug-master.md)
- [How to cancel The Bug Master](https://handshakereviews.com/companies/the-bug-master/cancel.md)
- [Rankings by state](https://handshakereviews.com/rankings/pest-control-west.md)
- [How we review companies](https://handshakereviews.com/how-we-review.md)

## Sources

Numbered as in the full source list of [the Bug Master review](https://handshakereviews.com/companies/the-bug-master.md). Dates are when our researchers retrieved each page.

3. [bbb.org](https://www.bbb.org/us/tx/austin/profile/pest-control/the-bug-master-0825-42185) — Company facts · retrieved October 27, 2026
9. [bbb.org](https://www.bbb.org/us/tx/austin/profile/pest-control/the-bug-master-0825-42185/complaints) — Contracts and sales · retrieved October 27, 2026
12. [Google — Austin, Texas](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=7206986043702492228) — google.com · Customer reviews · retrieved October 27, 2026
13. [Google — The Woodlands, Texas](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=6028918705393892221) — google.com · Customer reviews · retrieved October 27, 2026
14. [Google — Temple, Texas](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=4073801191974946376) — google.com · Customer reviews · retrieved October 27, 2026
15. [Google — San Antonio, Texas](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=14017124013393448403) — google.com · Customer reviews · retrieved October 27, 2026
16. [Google — San Marcos, Texas](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=4181606950180633270) — google.com · Customer reviews · retrieved October 27, 2026
17. [Google — Houston, Texas](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=5775118534021331056) — google.com · Customer reviews · retrieved October 27, 2026
24. [Yelp — Austin, Texas (1912 Smith Rd)](https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-bug-master-austin-8) — yelp.com · Customer reviews · retrieved October 27, 2026
25. [Yelp — Austin, Texas (1912 Smith Rd)](https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Bug+Control&find_loc=Austin%2C+TX) — yelp.com · Customer reviews · retrieved October 27, 2026
26. [BBB](https://www.bbb.org/search?find_country=USA&find_text=bug%20master&find_loc=Austin%2C%20TX&find_type=Category) — bbb.org · BBB · retrieved October 27, 2026
27. [Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) Structural Pest Control Service](https://texasagriculture.gov/Portals/0/Reports/PIR/spcs_commercial_business.csv) — texasagriculture.gov · Licensing and registrations · retrieved October 27, 2026
29. [Texas (Texas Department of Agriculture, Structural Pest Control Service)](https://texasagriculture.gov/Portals/0/Reports/PIR/spcs_enforcement.xls) — texasagriculture.gov · Legal and regulatory · retrieved October 27, 2026
30. [Texas, Third Court of Appeals (Austin); Travis County 261st District Court No. 99-00846](https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2864479/bug-master-exterminating-service-inc-v-abash-exter/) — courtlistener.com · Legal and regulatory · retrieved October 27, 2026
31. [Texas, Third Court of Appeals (Austin), No. 03-96-00574-CV](https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2860800/cary-psencik-and-debra-psencik-v-sheldon-sheveland/) — courtlistener.com · Legal and regulatory · retrieved October 27, 2026

_Markdown version of https://handshakereviews.com/companies/the-bug-master/legit. Every page on this site has one: add `.md` to the path or request it with `Accept: text/markdown`. Site guide for agents: https://handshakereviews.com/llms.txt._