Our House

Locate a Pest Control Company Near You

- I prefer local companies for routine service -

Summary: When hiring a pest control company your first decision will be choosing between one of the national franchises and a local company. I prefer local firms for routine service but national franchises for work that might need specialized equipment.

Jack DeAngelis, PhD
OSU Ext. Entomologist (ret.)

At 'Bugs we encourage people to tackle many of their own pest control needs with help from us and with supplies and equipment that are available online. We recognize, however, that not everyone wants, or is able, to preform these tasks. In addition, there are some pest control operations that should never be performed by homeowners because they require some special expertise or are simply too dangerous. See our DIY article for a list of which is which.

For those times when you need help see our tips for selecting pest control services and carefully consider whether or not you need a national franchise like Terminix or Orkin, or if a local company is a better choice (see suggestions below).
fumigation tent on warehouse

Tarp-style fumigation tent covering a small warehouse. Photo by Art Antonelli

Franchise pest control companies

National franchise companies like Terminix and Orkin have access to expertise and specialized equipment that may not be available through your local pest control company. So, for example, a complicated procedure like structural fumigation may be best left to a large national franchise company. On the other hand, these companies will probably be more expensive for routine pest control and they tend to push what I believe are unnecessary "maintenance treatments" with aggressive marketing.

Local pest control companies

Local companies are not burdened by marketing campaigns from headquarters and so may be better able to customize a treatment schedule to your needs. They would be my choice for routine pest control services. Be sure to ask for references and check them!
Copyright 2004-2007 livingwithbugs.com. All Rights Reserved. Page Updated: 12/23/2007