Pest guide
Every pest, with what it costs to deal with
Published because the alternative is a services page that says "residential pest control" nine different ways and answers nothing.
Start here
What did you find?
The answer changes completely depending on the pest, so the site should ask before it starts talking. The average site in this category names twelve pests and gives you no way to pick one. Prices are illustrative starting points for a typical single-family home.
Sample pricing for demonstration. Replace with your own before launch. Every price assumes a standard single-family property; larger or heavily infested properties are quoted after an inspection.
Ants
Interior and exterior treatment with a non-repellent the colony carries back, plus a perimeter barrier. Killing the trail alone does nothing.
- Visits
- One, with a follow-up at 14 days if needed
- One-off price
- From $145
- We can be there
- Usually within 2 days
On the plan. Ants are the reason most people start the plan. Quarterly treatment keeps the barrier current and any call-back between visits is free.
When each one shows up in the Carolinas
Treating ahead of the season costs less than treating during it, which is the honest argument for a quarterly plan rather than the usual scare copy.
| February to April | Termite swarms, first ant trails, overwintering stink bugs moving out |
|---|---|
| April to June | Wasp nests being built, mosquitoes starting, carpenter bees in fascia |
| June to August | Peak mosquito, fire ants, wasps at full size, roaches most active |
| August to October | Yellowjackets aggressive, spiders most visible, fleas peak |
| October to December | Rodents move indoors, this is the month to seal entry points |
| All year | German roaches and bed bugs, which are indoor pests and ignore the season |
Telling them apart
Sample answers for demonstration. Replace with your own before launch.
Termite swarmers have two pairs of wings of equal length, a straight waist and straight antennae. Flying ants have a pinched waist, elbowed antennae and back wings shorter than the front. If you find discarded wings on a windowsill in March, photograph them and send them to us rather than guessing.
Mouse droppings are rice-grain sized with pointed ends. Rat droppings are two to three times larger with blunt ends. The difference changes the trap, the bait and the size of the gap we need to seal.
It depends which one. A large roach that wandered in from outside is usually just that. A small light-brown German roach is almost never alone, because they live indoors and breed indoors. Send a photograph and we will tell you which you have.
We cannot diagnose bites and neither can anyone else online. Bed bugs, fleas and mosquitoes all leave marks that vary by person. What we can do is inspect and tell you what is actually in the room, which is the only reliable answer.
Still not sure what you are looking at?
Send a photograph. Most identifications take us about ten seconds and cost you nothing.