Pest Control: questions, answered with sources
Each answer cites the public sources it was checked against, with the date it checked them. Jobs that need a licensed pro in Virginia say so, and explain the job instead of teaching it.
Ants
5 answers
How do I get rid of ants in my kitchen?
Work out which ant you have, then take away what it is feeding on, wipe up the trails with soapy water, and set a bait labeled for that ant where the workers are foraging. Leave the bait alone and do not spray near it. Seal the cracks the trail uses. Large black ants or fire ants need a different plan.
How much does ant control cost in Virginia?
There is no standard price. The cost depends on the species, whether the nest can be found, how many visits the plan needs and whether it is a one-off treatment or a seasonal program. Carpenter ants can add wood repair. Compare written quotes that name the ant, the products, the follow-up visits and the company's Virginia pesticide business license.
Do I need a professional for carpenter ants?
Not always. If the ants are foraging in from outside, or you can find and reach the nest and fix the damp wood it is in, you can often handle it yourself. Call a licensed pest control company when the nest is hidden inside walls or structural wood, ants appear indoors in late winter, or over-the-counter baits have not worked.
Are carpenter ants a sign of water damage?
Usually, yes. Carpenter ants do not tunnel into sound, dry wood; they nest in wood that water has already softened, so a nest inside the house points to a leak, condensation or wood touching wet soil. Ants that forage in from outdoors in late spring may not mean a problem inside. Find and fix the moisture, or new colonies will move in.
How do I keep ants out of my house?
Make the house less inviting and harder to get into. Keep food sealed and counters clean, fix drips, caulk the cracks and gaps ants use, and keep plants, mulch and branches from touching the walls. Check the house monthly in spring and summer, and bait only when ants actually show up, since baits set out for no reason can attract them.
Bed Bug Treatment
3 answers
How does heat treatment for bed bugs work?
Technicians bring in heaters and fans to raise the temperature of a room or home until the hidden cracks where bed bugs live reach a lethal temperature. Virginia Cooperative Extension puts the thermal death point at 118°F for adults and nymphs and 122°F for eggs. Good treatments measure those hard-to-heat spots, hold the heat for hours and leave you documentation.
How do I prepare my home for a bed bug treatment?
Ask the pest control company for its written prep list first, because requirements differ by method and firm. Typically you bag and launder bedding and clothes, make beds and furniture accessible, and for heat remove heat-sensitive items. Avoid heavy cleaning or moving clutter around beforehand, which Virginia Cooperative Extension says can scatter bugs into new locations.
Why are bed bugs still there after treatment?
Because one treatment rarely finishes the job. The EPA says very few infestations are controlled with only one treatment, eggs can hatch after the visit, bugs hidden in hard-to-reach spots can be missed, and some populations resist common pesticides. Keep inspecting weekly, tell the company what you find, and expect a follow-up visit.
Bed Bugs
5 answers
How do I check my mattress for bed bugs?
Strip the bed and, with a bright flashlight, work slowly along the mattress piping, seams, tufts and tag, then the box spring, bed frame and headboard. You are looking for live bugs about the size of an apple seed, pale shed skins, tiny white eggs and clusters of black or rusty spots. Bites alone do not prove bed bugs; physical evidence does.
How much does bed bug treatment cost in Virginia?
It depends on how far the bugs have spread, the size of the home and the method. Virginia Cooperative Extension's February 2024 fact sheet put heat treatments at $500 to $5,000, depending on the size of the home and the number of technicians. Most infestations need more than one visit, so compare written quotes on what is included: visits, follow-up inspection, temperature records and the company's Virginia pesticide licence.
Is my landlord responsible for bed bugs in Virginia?
In most cases the duty falls on the landlord. Under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act the landlord must keep the rental fit and habitable and follow housing codes. Your side is to report insects or pests promptly, put repair requests in writing and allow access for treatment. A tenant who unreasonably delays reporting, or is at fault for the infestation, can be charged for treatment.
What do bed bug bites look like compared with other bites?
Bed bug bites are usually small, itchy red bumps or welts on skin left uncovered in bed, often in a line or cluster, and they can show up a day or more later. But they can look like mosquito, flea or chigger bites, rashes or hives, and some people do not react at all. Only finding the bugs, eggs, skins or droppings confirms bed bugs.
How do I avoid bringing bed bugs home after travel?
Check the bed before you unpack, keep your suitcase off the bed and floor on an inspected luggage stand, and leave clothes in the bag rather than in drawers. At home, unpack outside the bedroom and run your clothes through a hot dryer, which kills bed bugs and their eggs. If you suspect the bag met bed bugs, heat-treat it before it goes back in a closet.
Bee & Wasp Removal
5 answers
How do I get rid of carpenter bees?
Treat each active hole, then close it and finish the wood. Puff a small amount of a dust or aerosol labeled for carpenter bees into the entrance, leave it open a few days so returning bees carry it through the tunnel, then plug the hole with a glued dowel or wood putty and paint the bare wood. Late summer or early spring is the best time.
How much does bee removal cost in Virginia?
There is no standard price, so the real number is a written quote. What moves it most: which insect it is, whether it is a swarm in the open or a colony inside a wall, how high and hard to reach it is, whether the wall must be opened and repaired, and whether follow-up visits are included.
Who removes honey bees in Virginia without killing them?
Beekeepers. A swarm hanging on a branch or fence is usually collected by a local beekeeper, so call one the same day; a local beekeeping association is a good place to start. A colony already inside a wall is harder, since few beekeepers take those on: ask for one who removes bees from buildings, and line up a licensed contractor for the wall.
How can I tell bees from wasps?
Look at the body, the food and the nest. Bees are stout and hairy and visit flowers for pollen and nectar. Wasps are smooth, with a narrow waist, and many scavenge meat and sweets. Bees nest in wax comb, wood tunnels or soil; paper wasps, yellowjackets and hornets build nests of paper.
How do I keep carpenter bees from coming back?
Take away what draws them: bare, weathered wood and old tunnels. Treat and plug every existing hole, fill cracks and nail holes, and keep exposed wood painted, since carpenter bees rarely drill into sound paint. Stain helps less. Check the same boards each spring, hang traps early in the season, and replace wood that has been tunneled for years.
Birds & Bats
5 answers
How are bats removed from a house?
Bats are removed by exclusion, not trapping. A permitted wildlife control operator finds every gap the bats use, fits one-way exits so they can leave at night but not return, waits until the roost is empty, then seals the openings. In Virginia the work has to avoid the summer months when flightless young are in the roost, and bats may not be poisoned or moved off the property.
How much does bat removal cost in Virginia?
There is no standard price, because bat removal is priced by the house, not by the bat. The cost depends on how many gaps the bats use and how high they are, how many visits the one-way exclusion takes, whether the job has to wait for the end of the maternity season, and whether droppings, insulation or trim need cleanup or repair. Get itemised written quotes.
Is it legal to remove bats from my house in Virginia?
Yes, if it is done by exclusion and at the right time. Virginia law bars poisoning bats and moving them off the property, several bat species are endangered, and exclusion is restricted in summer while young are in the roost. Since 2025, DWR-permitted wildlife operators doing bat work also need bat-specific training, unless the job is outside the maternity season with no bats in the building.
How do I know if I have bats in my attic?
The surest sign is bats leaving the roofline at dusk, so watch the house from outside for half an hour after sunset. Other signs are high-pitched clicks or scratching in walls or ceilings, an unusual lingering odour, dark stains around gaps, droppings piling up in the same spot, and bats turning up inside the house more than once.
How do I keep birds from nesting in my dryer and bathroom vents?
Give each vent the right outside cap and keep it working. Maytag's dryer instructions call for a hood with a swing-out damper and never a screen, which traps lint. A bathroom fan can use a wall cap with a backdraft damper and bird screen. Have stuck caps replaced before spring, and leave nests alone unless they are a starling's or house sparrow's: Virginia law protects most others.
Cockroach Control
5 answers
How do I get rid of cockroaches?
Combine cleanup with targeted baiting. Use sticky traps to find where they hide, take away food, water and clutter, seal cracks, then put gel or station baits in their runways and keep them fresh until the traps stay empty. Skip bug bombs, ultrasonic plug-ins and borax. A large or building-wide infestation is a job for a licensed pest control company.
How much does cockroach extermination cost in Virginia?
There is no standard price. The cost depends on the species, how far the roaches have spread, the size and layout of the home and how many visits the plan needs. A heavy German cockroach infestation costs more than a few roaches wandering in from outside. Compare written quotes that list the inspection, products, follow-up visits and the company's Virginia pesticide business license.
Can I get rid of cockroaches myself, or do I need an exterminator?
Often you can, when the problem is small, recent and confined to one home: traps, thorough cleanup, sealing and baits used by the label usually bring numbers down. Call a licensed pest control company when traps keep filling after several weeks, roaches show up in daylight, they come from neighbouring units, or someone in the home has asthma.
Why do I see roaches in a clean house?
Because cockroaches need only a little food, water and a tight hiding place, and a clean house still has them: a drip under the sink, grease behind the stove, a dry drain, cardboard in a closet. They also ride in on grocery bags and secondhand furniture, walk in from mulch and woodpiles outside, or move in from a neighbouring unit through plumbing and shared walls.
How do I keep cockroaches out of my apartment?
Give them nothing to live on and no way in: clean the kitchen every night, keep food, pet food and trash sealed, fix drips, keep drains wet, and caulk gaps around pipes, cabinets and baseboards. Check grocery bags and secondhand furniture before they come in. Because roaches travel between units, report any sighting to your landlord in writing and work with your neighbours.
Crawlspace & Moisture
5 answers
How do I lower the humidity in my crawl space?
Measure it first, then work from the outside in: send roof water well away from the foundation, fix leaks and drips, cover all bare soil with plastic sheeting, keep exhausts and the sump sealed off, and run a dehumidifier rated for cool spaces. Aim for below 60 percent, ideally 30 to 50, and check the reading through the summer.
How much does a crawl space dehumidifier cost in Virginia?
There is no set Virginia price. The total depends on the unit (a portable model you place yourself or a professional crawl space unit), how its water drains, whether an outlet or circuit has to be added, and what prep the space needs first. Running it costs electricity: Virginia homes paid an average of 17.64 cents per kilowatt-hour in August 2026.
Should I hire a pest control company or a waterproofing company for a wet crawl space?
Hire for the cause. Liquid water coming in from outside, puddles after rain or seepage through the walls, is a drainage and waterproofing job. Damp air, bare soil and insect damage are where many pest control companies work, and only a licensed pesticide business may treat termites or carpenter ants. Either way, check the Virginia licences and get written quotes.
Why is my crawl space wet?
Usually one of five things: rain from the roof or yard running toward the foundation, groundwater rising through the soil, a leaking pipe or condensate line, humid summer air condensing on cool pipes and framing through open vents, or bare soil giving off moisture. When water appears, and what it looks like, points to which one.
How do I keep a crawl space vapor barrier in good shape?
Inspect it in spring and fall and after anyone works under the house. Look for tears, lifted seams, edges pulled off the walls and water pooled on top. Patch damage with tape made for the liner, protect the paths to equipment, keep stored items and sharp debris off it, and fix whatever put water on top of it.
Flea & Tick
5 answers
How do I get rid of fleas in my house?
Treat every pet and the house at the same time. Start all dogs and cats on a flea product your veterinarian recommends, vacuum carpets, furniture and pet resting spots every day, wash pet bedding in hot water, and spot-treat where pets rest with a spray that contains an insect growth regulator. Expect new fleas for a few weeks as cocoons hatch, and skip bug bombs.
How much does flea treatment cost in Virginia?
There is no official price list, so the cost depends on the job: how many rooms need treating, how bad the infestation is, whether the yard is included, how many follow-up visits the plan has, and whether wildlife is the source. Your pets' flea products from the veterinarian are a separate, ongoing cost. Get two or three written quotes from licensed businesses and compare what each covers.
Do I need an exterminator for fleas, or will treating my pet work?
Often treating the pet works, if every dog and cat in the home is on an effective vet-recommended product and you vacuum daily and wash pet bedding. Fleas still developing in the house emerge, jump on a treated pet and die. Call a licensed exterminator for a severe infestation, fleas still appearing after four weeks, a home with no pets, or pets that cannot be treated.
Why do I still have fleas after treating my pet?
Usually because fleas already in the house are still hatching. Eggs, larvae and cocoons in carpet and furniture keep producing new adults for a few weeks after a pet is treated, and cocoons resist insecticide. Other causes are an untreated pet, the wrong product or dose, resistance to the product, wildlife bringing fleas in, or reinfestation from outdoors. Fleas past four weeks need a closer look.
How do I keep fleas out of my yard?
Keep your pets on a flea preventive, then make the yard a poor place for fleas to develop: mow, trim low branches so sun reaches pet resting spots, clear brush, junk and cluttered firewood, and stop feeding strays and wildlife. Fleas breed in shaded, protected spots where pets and animals rest, so treat only those spots, and only when you find fleas there.
General Pest Control
5 answers
How do I get rid of spiders in my house?
Most spiders in Virginia homes are harmless and eat other insects, so the lasting fix is fewer ways in and less to eat: seal gaps around doors, windows and pipes, clear clutter, vacuum webs and egg sacs, and turn off outdoor lights that draw insects. Sticky traps show where spiders travel. Call a pro for repeated black widows or a suspected brown recluse infestation.
How much does pest control cost in Virginia?
There is no set price for pest control in Virginia. The cost depends on the pest, how established it is, the size and layout of the home, whether it is a one-time treatment or a recurring plan, and how many follow-up visits are included. Get two or three written bids for the same scope and check each company's Virginia pesticide business license and insurance.
Do pest control companies need a license in Virginia?
Yes. Any business that applies or recommends pesticides for pay in Virginia needs a pesticide business license from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) for each location, and must employ a certified commercial applicator. The people who treat homes are certified commercial applicators or registered technicians. VDACS publishes lists of licensed businesses and certified applicators you can check before you hire.
Why do I suddenly have so many bugs in my house?
A sudden wave of bugs usually has a seasonal or a moisture cause. In Virginia, stink bugs, lady beetles, wolf spiders and millipedes move indoors in late summer and fall, outdoor lights draw beetles at night, and damp basements draw crickets and sowbugs. Bugs that keep appearing in one room often point to a breeding source indoors, such as infested pantry food or a slimy drain.
How often should I have pest control service?
There is no required schedule. Many Virginia homes need no routine treatment, and integrated pest management, the approach Virginia Tech and the EPA describe, treats when monitoring shows a real problem rather than every time a bug appears. A recurring plan can make sense for a pest that keeps returning, if each visit includes an inspection, treatments are timed to the pest and the contract is easy to cancel.
Mosquito & Tick
4 answers
How do I get rid of ticks in my yard?
You usually cannot remove every tick, but you can make the parts of the yard your family uses far less welcoming to them. Mow, rake out leaf litter, clear brush at the lawn's edge, lay a wood chip or gravel strip between lawn and woods, move play sets away from the trees, and discourage deer and mice. For a spray, hire a licensed applicator.
How much does mosquito and tick spraying cost in Virginia?
We found no dated public price for residential mosquito and tick spraying in Virginia, so the real number comes from written quotes. What you pay depends on the size of the treated area, how many visits the plan includes across a season that runs from early May to early November, the products used, and whether ticks, mosquitoes or both are targeted.
Are mosquito spraying services safe for kids and pets?
They can be, when a licensed applicator uses the product exactly as its label directs. EPA does not expect risks of concern from the common mosquito insecticides used that way, but no pesticide is risk free. Ask for the product name, keep children and pets off treated areas until the spray is completely dry, and protect fish ponds, bees and cats.
When does tick season start and end in Virginia?
Virginia has no true tick-free season. Ticks are busiest from spring through midsummer, and Fairfax County advises extra care from March through October, but the Virginia Department of Health says ticks can be active on warm days at any time of year. Adult blacklegged ticks bite in fall, winter and early spring, so keep up tick checks year round.
Mosquito Control
5 answers
How do I get rid of mosquitoes in my yard?
Start with the water, not a spray. Most yard mosquitoes grow up in standing water close by, so tip out every container at least once a week, clear clogged gutters, fill low spots, and treat water you keep, such as rain barrels and ponds, with Bti dunks. Then cut back the tall weeds where adults rest, keep screens tight, and wear repellent outside.
How much does monthly mosquito control cost in Virginia?
This page has no dated price for monthly residential mosquito spraying from a Virginia or federal source, so the real number comes from written quotes. The season total depends on how many monthly visits you buy across a season that runs from early May to early November, how much shaded ground is treated, the products used, any add-ons such as ticks, and the contract terms.
Are monthly mosquito treatments worth it?
They can be, but only after you have removed the standing water mosquitoes breed in. A monthly spray knocks down adults resting in shrubs and shade for a while, yet many residential products do not last long and new mosquitoes keep hatching or flying in. They are most worth paying for when a yard you use often still has heavy biting after weeks of cleanup.
Why are there so many mosquitoes in my yard?
Usually because they are breeding close by. Mosquitoes grow up in standing water, need as little as a bottle cap of it, and can go from egg to adult in about two weeks. Clogged gutters, forgotten containers, low spots that hold rain, shady overgrowth where adults rest, and a neighbor's water within flying range are the usual reasons a yard fills with them.
How do I stop mosquitoes from breeding around my house?
Take away standing water and keep it away all season. Once a week, dump and scrub every container that holds water, refresh bird baths, and check gutters and downspout extensions. Fix the things that keep refilling, such as old tires and low spots, treat rain barrels and ponds with Bti, and keep pools circulating. Start in spring, before the season begins in May.
Rodent Control
5 answers
How do I get rid of mice in my house?
Find where the mice are traveling, set plenty of snap traps flush against those walls, and keep trapping until the traps stay empty. At the same time, take away food and nesting material and seal every gap larger than a quarter inch with steel wool, hardware cloth or sheet metal. Skip ultrasonic plug-ins, and clean droppings wet, never by sweeping.
How much does it cost to get rid of mice in Virginia?
There is no standard price for mouse control in Virginia. The bill depends on how many mice there are, how many ways into the house need sealing, whether rats are involved, how many follow-up visits it takes and whether cleanup is included. A few snap traps and some steel wool cost little; for anything more, get two or three written quotes and compare what each one covers.
When should I call an exterminator for mice?
Handle one or two mice yourself with snap traps and sealing. Call a licensed pest control company when traps keep catching mice week after week, you see mice in daylight, you find rat droppings or burrows, wiring is chewed, or the way in is at the roofline. In Virginia, a company that applies or recommends rodent bait for pay needs a pesticide business license.
Why do I hear scratching in my walls at night?
Scratching, scurrying or gnawing inside a wall at night usually means mice or rats, which look for food after dark and travel along wall voids, pipes and wires. Flying squirrels, also active at night, are the other common culprit, mostly in attics and upper walls. Noise at dawn and late afternoon points to gray squirrels. Droppings and entry holes tell you which one you have.
How do I keep mice out of my house in winter?
Seal the house in early fall, before cold nights send mice looking for shelter. Close every gap larger than a quarter inch with copper wool, caulk, hardware cloth, sheet metal or mortar, fit door sweeps, and check where pipes and wires enter. Then take away what draws them: open food, birdseed, clutter and firewood against the house. Keep a few snap traps set for early arrivals.
Termite Treatment
5 answers
How do termite treatments work?
Most termite treatments work in the soil, where subterranean termites live. A liquid termiticide is injected around and under the house so termites tunneling through it die, or bait stations set in the ground feed the colony a slow-acting insecticide that it spreads through its own nest. Wood treatments and physical barriers are mostly used in new construction. In Virginia, the work is done by licensed pesticide businesses.
How much does termite treatment cost in Virginia?
There is no single price. Termite treatment in Virginia is priced house by house, mainly on the length of the foundation perimeter, the construction type, liquid versus bait treatment, how much drilling the job needs, and the warranty attached. Budget for a yearly renewal on top of the first treatment. Get free inspections and written quotes from two or three licensed companies and compare them line by line.
Do I need a termite bond in Virginia?
Usually it is a choice rather than a requirement. A termite bond is a licensed company's renewable warranty: you pay a yearly renewal, and if termites return the company retreats at no extra charge, and under some plans repairs new damage. What Virginia home sales more often call for is a wood-destroying insect inspection; VA loans require that information for every property in the state.
What are the signs of termites in a house?
The three telltale signs are winged termites or piles of their shed wings indoors, usually in spring; pencil-wide mud tubes running up foundations, piers or framing; and wood hollowed out along the grain with soil packed in the tunnels. Blistered wood floors and tiny soil-rimmed holes in drywall are others. Termites often stay hidden for years, so a licensed inspection is the reliable check.
How do I make my house less attractive to termites?
Termites are drawn to damp soil against the foundation, wood touching soil, and food and cover such as firewood, buried scraps, stumps, deep mulch and plants against the walls. Dry soil, wood kept off the ground, cracks and gaps closed by the right tradesperson, and a dry crawl space all lower the risk. A licensed company's preventive treatment and yearly inspection are what actually protect the house.
Wasps & Stinging Insects
5 answers
How do I get rid of yellow jackets nesting in the ground?
Find the entrance in daylight from a distance, then come back late at night when the workers are inside and treat the hole with a wasp and hornet spray followed by an insecticidal dust labeled for yellowjackets. Check it the next day and repeat if it is still busy. Never pour gasoline, burn, flood or bury the nest.
How much does wasp nest removal cost in Virginia?
No Virginia agency publishes a price, so the real figure is a written quote. The price moves with the kind of wasp, where the nest is (ground, eave, tree or inside a wall), how high it is, how big the colony has grown, how many return visits it takes, and whether the nest is removed and the wall repaired afterwards.
When should I call a pro for a wasp nest?
Call a licensed pest control company when the nest is inside a wall, soffit, attic or crawlspace, when it is large or needs a ladder to reach, when anyone in the house is allergic to stings, or when a nest you treated is still active. A small paper wasp comb within reach, or a ground nest in open lawn, is often a homeowner job.
Why are yellow jackets so aggressive in late summer?
By late summer a yellowjacket colony is at its largest, the insects it hunts are getting scarce, and thousands of workers are out looking for sugar and protein, so they find your soda, fruit and trash. Near the nest, the colony is crowded and easily agitated. Covering food, closing trash and not swatting prevent most stings.
How do I keep wasps from building nests on my house?
Seal the cracks and gaps where queens spend the winter, then check eaves, porch lights, shutters, grills and railings every few weeks in spring and knock down any new nest while it is only a few cells. Take down old nests, close trash and skip sugary attractants. Leave anything high or inside a wall to a pro.
Wildlife Removal
5 answers
How do wildlife removal companies get animals out of an attic?
A good company inspects first to find the animal and every way in, then gets it out so it cannot return: usually a one-way exit, sometimes live traps, always checking for young. Virginia limits what comes next: a captured animal is released on your property, taken to a rehabilitator if injured, sick or orphaned, or humanely killed, with narrow exceptions for squirrels and snakes. Then the holes get sealed.
How much does wildlife removal cost in Virginia?
It is priced job by job, and the homeowner pays. The total usually depends on the animal, the season, how many entry points need sealing, how many trap-check visits are needed, and whether cleanup and repairs are included. Bats and spring jobs with young often take longer. Get at least three written quotes that list removal, repairs, cleanup and any warranty separately.
Is it legal to trap and relocate wildlife in Virginia?
Mostly no. Virginia's wildlife agency says it is illegal to trap an animal and relocate it to another area. A landowner who live-traps an animal on their own land can release it there, take an injured one to a licensed rehabilitator that has agreed to accept it, or have it humanely killed. Squirrels, snakes and bats each have their own rules.
What animal is living in my attic?
Start with when you hear it. Light scurrying at night usually means flying squirrels, though rats and mice sound similar; heavier thumps at night suggest a raccoon; noise at dawn and late afternoon fits gray squirrels; and small animals leaving the roofline at dusk are likely bats. The size of the entry hole and the droppings narrow it down, and a licensed wildlife pro can confirm.
How do I keep raccoons and squirrels out of my attic?
Take away the reasons to come and the ways in. Stop feeding wildlife, lock down trash and pet food, keep feeders away from the house, and cut back limbs that reach the roof. Then have every opening into the house closed with metal, including chimney and vent caps, but only after a pro confirms nothing is inside. Check the outside of the house every year.