How Much Does Pest Control Cost in 2024?
In addition to being dangerous for your family’s health, having a pest infestation in your house can be uncomfortable. Certain pests, such as termites and rats, can also cause major structural damage that can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
If you notice that the number of pests in and around your home is growing, it might be time to hire an expert. The type of pests, the number of treatments required, and the extent of the infestation all affect how much pest control will cost you.
That is why, down below, we will examine the average pest control costs for 2024, the price of various service options, and whether DIY pest control is less expensive. We will also look at the variables – such as location, pest species, and degree of infestation – that influence the average cost of pest control for your house.
So, if you need a detailed answer to the question “How much does pest control cost in 2024?” continue reading below.
So, How Much Does Pest Control Cost in 2024?
Calculating the average cost of pest control can be difficult, but for a single treatment, you should expect to pay between $250 and $675. However, for ants or fleas, a single visit may cost as little as $150, while fumigation services may cost as much as $8,000. Depending on the type of treatment, an annual pest control plan could range between $350 to $850.
In addition to standard pest control programs, there are numerous specialty services available at varying costs. For instance, pests such as termites or bed bugs are usually not covered by most standard plans and must be eliminated with the use of specific baits or through specialized treatment plans. Therefore, it usually costs more to get rid of these kinds of pests.
To summarize, the cost of pest control varies based on the kind of pest and its treatment, the extent of the infestation, the size of your home, and whether the service is needed once or regularly.
The Most Common Pests and Their Treatment Costs
The cost of pest control varies primarily according to the type of pest. The least expensive pests to prevent and eradicate are usually common household ones like roaches, spiders, and ants. Whereas pests such as termites, rodents, and bed bugs, require specialized removal and are much more expensive to deal with.
Down below, you can find information on some common household pests and an estimate of the cost to eradicate them:
Treatment Cost for Ants
A one-time treatment for ant extermination typically costs between $150 and $450. Depending on the location, kind of ants, and methods of treatment, treating a severe infestation for a house of the same size can range from $800 to $1,200.
Bait traps and liquid insecticides work best for controlling ants. These control techniques have the advantage that they nearly always work to exclude ants and destroy their colony. One drawback of sprays and traps is that they might not be child- or pet-safe.
Treatment Cost for Bats
Since bats are protected animals, the goal is to relocate them rather than eradicate them. For relocation and exclusion, which entails getting them out and then sealing potential entry points, you must hire a pest control company and use their services.
Bat removal typically costs between $250 and $600. Depending on the size of the home, the steepness of the roof, the number of stories, and the extent of the infestation, bat remediation can take two days to a week. After a large bat colony is removed, structural repairs might take longer. So, you should keep costs other than treatment in mind as well.
Treatment Cost for Bees
Depending on the type of bees, the size of the colony, and the hive’s location, bee removal can cost anywhere from $125 to $1,000.
Relocation is the preferred method of pest control for bees. When dealing with more dangerous species extermination is considered a last resort.
Treatment Cost for Bed Bugs
Getting rid of bed bugs can be expensive. Pest control companies will employ different methods for removing bed bugs depending on the extent, type, and location of the infestation. Heat treatments, powdered pesticides, mattress encasements and removal, crack or spot treatment, and fumigation are some of the removal techniques.
The cost to hire a bed bug exterminator can range from $300 to $5,000. The potential number of impacted rooms is the primary cause of the significant price differential. The cost can range from $300 to $500 for a single room, and $2,500 to $5,000 for an entire house.
Treatment Cost for Cockroaches
Although cockroaches are among the hardest pests to permanently eradicate, professional pest control can handle any intensity of infestation.
Depending on the size, type of treatment, and extent of the infestation, cockroach extermination can cost anywhere from $100 to $8,000.
Don’t worry about the possible high cost, though, as most homeowners only pay around $250 to treat cockroach infestations; the cost only goes up to $8,000 for severe cases requiring whole-home fumigation. Treating small infestations only requires the use of dust, sprays, or baits.
Treatment Cost for Fleas
An annual flea extermination plan can cost $300 to $600, while a one-time inspection and treatment for fleas will cost $75 to $400. Chemical sprays, flea bombs, high-powered vacuums, fumigation, and heat treatments are a few possible treatment techniques.
Although you can attempt to eradicate fleas from your home on your own, hiring a professional pest control company will be more successful for larger infestations.
Treatment Cost for Mosquitoes
Depending on the size, location, degree of infestation, and necessary treatment techniques of the property, mosquito control can cost anywhere from $80 to $150 per visit or $350 to $1,000 per season on average.
Since warmer climates have longer mosquito seasons and require more frequent monthly follow-up treatments, the cost of mosquito control may increase accordingly.
Mosquitoes are usually a persistent issue that needs to be treated regularly to prevent them from coming back. If you are unable to significantly change your landscaping to repel mosquitoes, you should probably hire one of the top mosquito control businesses to treat your home once a month while mosquito season is in effect.
Treating nesting areas repeatedly to destroy eggs and young larvae is the most efficient way to get rid of mosquitoes. Although this treatment works well, it needs to be continuously reapplied during the mosquito season.
Treatment Cost for Rats and Mice
To get rid of rodents, pest control experts use a combination of physical traps and bait stations. Typically, rodent removal costs range from $200 to $2,500. The location, kind of animal, extent of the infestation, and removal technique all affect the total cost.
Depending on the extent of the infestation and the method employed, the cost of eliminating mice can range from $200 to $2,500. There are humane treatments available, but they may be more expensive, require more time, and be less effective.
Additionally, the average cost of rat extermination is $350, and it typically ranges from $200 to $1,200.
Treatment Cost for Termites
Because termites can burrow so deeply into your home, they are one of the hardest pests to eradicate, and termite extermination costs can be very high.
To stop termites at their source, most pest control businesses use specially-made baits and sprays. Annual termite treatment and protection plans are also provided by certain companies.
Termite control usually ranges in price from $70 to $2,500 per treatment. Fumigation may also be necessary for severe infestations. Depending on the size of the home, this method may cost between $2,000 and $8,000.
If a termite inspection is unrelated to a real estate transaction, some termite control companies offer a free inspection; however, you may still need to budget about $100 for one.
Treatment Cost for Ticks
The best way to prevent ticks from entering your property is to use granules and sprays in addition to regular lawn care. Sadly, even though they work well, some popular tick repellents can be poisonous to nearby wildlife, especially cats.
A one-time treatment for ticks usually covers the exterior and interior of the house. The average price ranges between $200 and $500. Due to the larger area that needs to be managed, outdoor tick control will cost more than indoor treatment.
Treatment Cost for Wasps
For most kinds, wasp removal costs between $300 and $700. Because yellowjackets are aggressive and more difficult to remove, removal can cost anywhere between $600 and $1,200.
Techniques for getting rid of wasps include using a strong vacuum to remove the insects or dusting or spraying poison inside and around the nest. Certain species – like ground-dwelling wasps – may need more specialized care, which will come with a higher price tag than regular wasp control.
Treatment Cost for Wildlife
The average cost of removing wildlife varies from $200 to $600, based on the species, location, and size of the colony. In contrast to standard pest control services, wildlife removal services frequently entail trapping the animals and moving them outside of the house.
However, the cost of wildlife control varies mostly based on the area. It is more expensive to remove them from more difficult-to-reach locations than to just set a trap in the backyard. The prices can go up to $3,500 if wildlife pests make their nests in closed areas like chimneys and attics.
6 Factors That Affect Pest Control Costs
The cost of pest control is influenced by many different factors. We have already covered the type of pests as factors since they are the primary influence on how much pest control will cost.
Nevertheless, a variety of factors can affect pest control costs in addition to pest type. Anything that increases the difficulty or duration of the removal process will increase the cost to you.
The following is a summary of all the key variables that can impact the cost of your pest control service:
The Size of Your Home
How big your house and property are will determine how much pest control and extermination will cost overall. Exterminators will charge more for larger treatment areas because there are more hiding places for insects, more areas to treat or seal off, and more time and supplies needed.
The Location of Your Home
Pest control expenses may also be impacted by your residence. Treatments and inspections become more expensive in certain areas and climates of the United States due to the presence of more dangerous pests or a wider variety of pests.
Additionally, in hot, humid, or wet climates where there is a greater demand for the services, pest control services may be more expensive during peak seasons.
Similarly, the pest control company may charge more if you live in a remote area which makes it more difficult for them to come to you. Therefore, you should anticipate that pest control businesses will charge more for homes outside of their service area.
The Location of Pests and Nests
In case the infestation is situated in a tricky area such as a small crawlspace or an attic that is hard to access, the duration and expense of pest control services will increase. Inaccessible regions may cost more to treat because they call for specialized equipment or more time-consuming navigation techniques.
Furthermore, the prevalence of pests can raise the cost of services if they are present both inside and outside the home. Treating pests outside your home before they become an infestation may result in a reduction in your price if you’ve noticed them there. However, if pests are present inside the house as well as outside, the cost of the necessary extensive treatments may increase.
The Severity of the Infestation
Generally speaking, preventative pest control services are less expensive than major infestations that necessitate several visits to address. Larger infestations, however, will take more time, resources, and specialized methods to completely eradicate.
For instance, one small infestation, such as a lone raccoon in the kitchen, is far less expensive to treat than a large-scale rodent problem in the basement. A few small bugs can easily be dealt with quickly and simply, but a full-blown pest infestation might call for more involved, costly chemical treatments as well as a more extensive service schedule.
To put it briefly, the bigger the pest issue, the higher the bill could be.
The Number or Frequency of Treatment
Certain pests will need more frequent or thorough treatments. To completely eradicate these pests from your home, you might need to apply several treatments regularly. Your pest control bill may increase as a result of these thorough, frequent treatments. On the other hand, you might be able to employ a minimal quarterly treatment schedule at a reduced cost if you are carrying out preventive maintenance.
The average cost of one-time pest control services is between $250 and $675, but if the exterminator needs to return to replace more traps, remove dead bugs, or release rodents that were captured, the cost will increase.
Depending on your requirements, periodic visits can take place monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly and typically cost between $40 and $70. You can anticipate spending between $100 and $300 per treatment if you select a quarterly plan.
The Type of Service Provided by Your Experts
Depending on your needs, pest control companies provide a range of services at varying prices:
· Extermination: Setting traps, fumigating, or spraying your home to kill pests and make sure they don’t come back is known as pest extermination. Basic extermination typically costs $250 on average. However, because it requires a lot of labor and equipment to complete, full-house fumigation is among the priciest pest control treatments. Usually, fumigation expenses range from $2,000 to $8,000, or $1 to $4 per square foot of your house.
· Removal: When larger animals, like squirrels in your attic, are residing in your home, pest removal is the best option. Since the business must set the trap and then come back to retrieve the pest, costs might be higher than the average cost of basic extermination.
· Prevention: You can purchase a recurring service called pest prevention to stop pests from coming back. Frequent treatment can keep pests away and close off possible entry points into your house. Usually, preventative visits cost between $50 and $75 per month, while additional visits could cost an additional $100 to $200.
How Much Does DIY Pest Control Cost?
The cost of DIY pest control can vary greatly based on the particular pest problem you are dealing with. The price of traps and cleaning supplies required to keep pests off your property are the usual costs. For instance, for an ant infestation, DIY pest control can cost as little as $50, while for a minor mouse infestation, the average cost can reach $250.
Here is a list of some of the most popular tools used to treat pest infestations in homes, along with their average prices:
-
Sprays: $5 to $20 for each bottle
-
Dust: $10 to $30 per container
-
Adhesive Insect Traps: $5 to $15 for each pack
-
Zappers for Insects: $20 to $50 per unit
-
Ultrasound Devices: $10 to $30 for each gadget
-
Mouse Traps: $2 to $5 for each trap
-
Diatomaceous Earth: $10 to $20 for each bag
-
Essential Oils: $5 to $30 for each bottle
-
Caulk for Use in Sealing: $3 to $10 for each tube
The hidden expenses associated with DIY pest control must also be taken into account. Taking on a pest problem on your own runs the risk of making the infestation worse and may result in increased costs down the road.
When to Contact a Licensed Pest Control Firm?
In most cases, you can take care of seasonal pests like ants, gnats, and mosquitoes by yourself. You may be worrying about pest control costs in 2024 and want to turn to DIY solutions. Though DIY pest control methods can save you a ton of money, they rarely eradicate all pests from moderate to severe infestations, so you can probably expect them to return.
It’s best to look for the top pest control businesses in your area to start working as soon as possible if your pest problem is getting out of control.