Cost to Hire an Exterminator

Hiring an exterminator costs $100 to $300 for most insect control jobs. That cost applies to short service visits using a few sprays and traps. Significant infestations, when you need to tent a house and fumigate, cost between $2,000 to $8,000 or more.

You have two choices for insect extermination: one time or ongoing. One-time visit examples include most bed bug, bee, wasp and roach infestations, although for extensive infestations they require a follow up visit. Ongoing issues, where you need monthly, quarterly or yearly applications include pests like ants and termites.

Sometimes it’s a one-off problem, such as a snake that has wandered onto your property or a wasp building a nest in a high-traffic area. Other pests keep coming back. Roaches, spiders, termites, ticks, mice, rats, fleas and ants are more persistent, multiple-visit issues.

*The costs above are for a typical 1,500 square foot house. More square footage can add to the cost, but usually not by much. Some exterminators charge an extra $25.00 per 1,000 square feet over 1,500.

One-Time Pest Control Cost

The typical one-time cost for pest control is around $300 to $550. This cost is higher than most listed averages because it is a one-time visit only. In these cases, there is usually a lot of work to be done including assessment of the infestation, finding the lair and identifying entry points into your home.

Initial Visit

The typical first visit ballparks around $150 to $300. This visit includes:

• Assessing the problem
• Locating the nest
• Finding their entry point
• Creating an extermination plan with defined periodic visits if necessary
• Applying the first round of chemicals and placing traps

Some contracts, such as quarterly contracts, include free treatments if you have a problem between visits.

Monthly Pest Control Cost

Paying for monthly or semi-monthly pest control costs $40 to $70 per visit. You’ll typically only need the exterminator to come this often after having a large infestation removed or if you live with persistent bugs, such as in an apartment, condo, or other multifamily unit with roaches.

• Monthly Average: $40-$50
• Semi-Monthly Average: $50-$70

Quarterly Pest Control Cost

Quarterly pest control costs range from $100 to $300. Getting four treatments per year effectively prevents infestations. Quarterly prices depend on the type of treatment you’re getting and who you’re getting it from. Ask your exterminator about discounts on 12-month contracts that include three or four visits.

Annual Pest Control Cost

Annual pest control costs range from $300 to $550. It’s good for areas with little to no bug problems or seasonal pests, such as ants and mosquitos. It’s also a good time to get a yearly inspection for invasions from other things like termites and rodents.

Bug Extermination Costs

Exterminating bugs costs $150 to $300 on average. Moderate infestations might run up to $600 while a few types of bugs, like termites and bed bugs, can reach $3,000 or more.

Cost to Get Rid of Moths

Moth removal costs $150 to $300. While they pose little threat to humans, they can destroy clothes and fabric quickly. After removal, seal their entry point and consider using them from getting back in your home to avoid further damage.

Wood Boring Beetles Treatment Cost

Wood boring beetles cost $1,500 to $5,000 to treat. They can do extensive damage to the frame of your home that totals more than the price of getting rid of them. Chemicals alone cost $100 to $350.

Silverfish Extermination Cost

Silverfish extermination costs $100 to $300 with extreme infestations hitting $700. They pose no threat to humans (unless you’re allergic), but can do massive amounts of damage to clothes, paper products and food.

Tick Extermination Cost

Tick extermination costs $200 to $500. As ticks don’t infest a home, these are preventative treatments around your home, usually split into two to four treatments ($50 to $125 per treatment) depending on where you live. If you live in an area where there are deer ticks (which can carry Lyme disease), this type of extermination is recommended.

Carpet Beetle Treatment Cost

Carpet beetle treatments cost $100 to $600, depending on the size of the infestation and whether you choose a single treatment or periodic visits for prevention. As with most other bugs that don’t harm people, the larvae do damage to fabrics, mostly carpets and furniture.

Scorpion Extermination and Sealing Costs

Scorpion extermination costs $50 to $300 per visit. Sealing may add more to your price, but often comes as part of an inspection and extermination. Professionals recommend multiple visits for scorpions to get rid of them and keep them from coming back.

Pest Control Price List

Cost to Have Your House Sprayed for Bugs

A general pest control spray costs anywhere from $150 to $400. These treatments for maintenance aren’t intended to control an infestation but to stop one from starting.

Fumigation Price

Tenting a house for fumigation costs $1 to $4 per square foot. This means the average 2,000-square-foot home costs $2,000 to $8,000 to tent. Sometimes you’ll pay a fraction of that price if you don’t need the tent, which depends on the type of bug, chemicals and regulations in your area.

Cost to Fumigate an Apartment

It can cost anywhere from $500 to $5,000 or more to fumigate an apartment. For an entire apartment building, some pros charge $5 to $10 per door per visit. Landlords usually pay this bill since bugs can pass through walls and infest an entire building quickly. It’s impossible to know where the infestation began.

Commercial Pest Control Prices

Commercial pest control prices range from $35 to $150 per month. Initial service rates run $50 to $300. Most of these prices consider building size:

• Apartments: $5-$15 per unit.
• Restaurants: : $100-$150 per month.
• Other food services (deli, convenience store): $50-$100 per month.

They also have add-on services for an extra $10 to $25 per month or one-time fees which may include:

• Fly control
• Wasp traps
• Inspections
• Bait stations
• Supplies for clean up

DIY vs. Hiring an Exterminator

Don’t DIY if you’re dealing with serious invaders such as bed bugs, ants, termites, roaches and carpet beetles. Get a professional on the job to assess the damage they’ve done and manage their removal. What you pay for extermination pales in comparison repairing damage to furniture, wiring, walls, wood framing or flooring, carpet and foundation. Find a local pest control company at the first sign of a persistent issue.

If you’re dealing with minor invasions (a fleeting moth or getting rid of a couple spiders), you can usually resolve it yourself. There are many ways to DIY getting rid of unwanted bugs. You can trap mice and spray the perimeter with chemicals from a local home improvement store or use non-toxic remedies like cedar, soaps, herbs and essential oils.

FAQs

Do exterminators give free estimates?

Most exterminators give free estimates or make the estimate free if you sign a regular or recurring-services contract with them.

How can I protect my pets?

Be sure to let you exterminator know about your pets, as some of the chemicals and products they use can be harmful or even fatal. Permethrin is harmless to humans and dogs, but extremely toxic to cats. And while your cat might not eat rat poison, it might eat the dead rat and ingest the poison that way.

Which pests require ongoing treatment?

The most common insects that need ongoing treatments include roaches, spiders, termites, ticks, mice, rats, fleas and ants.

What are common pests in America?

The most common insect pests found in American homes are:

• Ants (especially the destructive carpenter ant)
• Bed bugs
• Cockroaches
• Beetles
• Centipedes
• Crickets
• Earwigs
• Flies
• Moths
• Silverfish
• Spiders
• Termites
• Weevils
• Woodlice

How quickly do pests reproduce?

Some pests reproduce exponentially. Remove or exterminate these at the first signs you see.

• Mice: A single female produces five to 10 litters per year. These litters consist of five to six young which can reproduce after a mere 30 days. So, one month after giving birth, that five to six mice can become 25 to 60. You’ll get an infestation of 300 to 720 mice per year.
• Roaches: A single American cockroach female lays six to 14 egg capsules in their life (a little over two years). Each egg capsule has about 16 eggs or about 100 to 225 eggs total.

What type of damage do pests cause?

Common pest and the damage they cause include:

• Rodents (mice, raccoons and rats): Cause damage to drywall, electrical, HVAC, roofs, walls, insulation. Their droppings can contaminate food and water supplies, making them unsafe for consumption.
• Carpenter Ants: Eat tunnels through wood structures in the walls, floors and ceilings of a home. They can cause $6,000+ in damage.
• Termites: Termites eat wood, causing wood to disintegrate. They cause an estimated $5 billion of damage each year. They can cause $10,000 or more in damage to your home.