10 Best Pest Control Companies in Lancaster, PA - USA Today (2024)

Common pests such as flies, bed bugs and bees can often make their way into homes in Lancaster. While you can consider DIY removal and prevention methods, an active infestation often requires the attention of a pest control company. Experienced pest control professionals in the Lancaster area have the expertise to inspect your home and treat your pest problem.

A pest infestation can lead to damage to your property and pose health risks to you and your family, including your pets. Insects and small animals can cause long-term property damage, contaminate foods and spread disease.

Hiring pest control pros can significantly lower the risk of an infestation. They'll identify where pests have nested, and create a treatment plan that could include closing off entry points, using traps or spraying chemicals. With the right solution in place, your pest problem can be solved for the long term.

Find the best local pest control company for you in Lancaster

Look for pest control companies in Lancaster with at least 3.5 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews and a good rating on Better Business Bureau (BBB). Use the filters below to help you find the right company for your needs.

What are common pests in Lancaster?

Though pests are found everywhere, they don't equally affect the same regions. Here are some indications of common pests in the Lancaster area.

• Bees: If you see more bees than usual inside or around your home, have dark stains on your walls or hear humming inside the walls, you may have a bee infestation. You might also notice an odd odor coming from your walls. This happens as bees die or honey seeps into the walls, causing the growth of mold. Bees can easily harm your loved ones and pets, as bee stings often provoke allergic reactions.
• Wasps: More wasps than usual in and around your house is a big sign of an infestation. Wasps nest above or below ground. Ground nests are generally hard to spot, so you may not notice them until you step on them. Because wasps are so aggressive, it's important that you call a pest control company to remove the nest rather than attempt to remove it yourself. Otherwise, you may risk multiple stings or a severe allergic reaction.
• Flies: It's common to see a few flies inside your home in the summer, but an excessive number likely signals an infestation. Flies leave feces resembling clusters of black dots by drains, shelves, or trash. Finding maggots, which are fly larvae, in your trash also indicates an infestation.
• Bed bugs: Bed bugs have flat bodies, no wings and are reddish-brown, looking similar to apple seeds in size and shape. Multi-unit apartments and hotels are usually where you come in contact with them. They get into your home by clinging onto used furniture, backpacks, clothing and purses. They are inactive during the day, concealing themselves in beds and small cracks. They come out at night to feed. Seeing bed bugs themselves or bloody marks on your mattress or bedding means you may have an infestation.
• Snakes: Snakes become more active when the weather is warm, nesting in overgrown grass, rock piles, debris and wood. Finding snake skins and snake eggs indicate an infestation. If you think you might have a snake, sprinkle flour in the suspected areas. If you see trails in the flour, contact a pest control professional for help removing the snake.
• Mice: Mice that have gotten into your house might scurry by briefly or leave rice grain-sized droppings. Mice characteristically give off a distinct musky smell and damage household items by nibbling through them. They build nests from shredded fibers and other found materials. As mice prefer tight spaces, you may hear rustling inside your walls or ceiling.

How can you prevent pests in your Lancaster home?

While an infestation will usually require professional extermination, the best way to avoid infestations is to take preventative measures.

Schedule regular preventative pest control

Bugs and small animals are problematic and can cause significant damage to your home and health if left unchecked. Consult with a pest control professional about taking preventative measures to keep pests from invading your home. They may recommend sealing gaps, setting traps or spraying the area with pesticides.

Cover, seal or eliminate food sources

As pests are usually looking for food, making food difficult to access will discourage them from invading your home. Food should be a minimum of half a foot off the floor and a modest distance away from the walls. Make sure to keep food storage areas, sinks and counters clean and disinfected when not in use, and dispose of food scraps and other trash consistently. Maintain the areas around your trash cans and dumpsters.

Keep up with yard maintenance

Insects and small animals can hide in trash, standing water, tall grass and leaves. Keeping your yard clear of debris and your lawn and foliage well-maintained is one of the easiest ways to stop an infestation before it starts. If professional lawn maintenance is needed, check if national lawn care services such as TruGreen cover your region.

Seal off pest entrances

Closing off entry points will deter insects and small animals from coming inside. Rats, for instance, can squeeze into holes as small as half an inch in diameter. Don't neglect gaps in your roof or siding, and remember to seal up broken window frames. Some pest control services specialize in pest prevention.

What are questions to ask your pest control provider?

To find a pest control provider with the proper qualifications for your individual needs, ask the following questions during the hiring process.

Are your technicians properly licensed and insured?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates pest control chemical use through the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. In addition, restricted-use pesticide applicators and their supervisors must be certified following EPA requirements and the laws of relevant states, territories and tribes.

Pennslyvania pest control professionals are required to be licensed through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Plant Industry, Division of Health and Safety. They should have earned either a Commercial/Public Applicator License or Registered Technician Certififcation in order to practice.

What treatment schedule do you recommend?

The treatment schedule a pest specialist advises will depend on the infestation severity, treatment type, property location and pest type. Pest control services generally do not advocate for getting a single treatment to rid a home of pests, as insects are often at different points in their life cycle, and can lay eggs in areas that are difficult to reach.

Pest control experts often recommend regular treatments, with some carried out only during the warmer seasons and others ongoing throughout the year. To prevent infestations from taking hold, they might also propose preventive treatments every two or three months to stop new infestations from forming.

How long will it take to get rid of pests?

How long it takes for your pest problem to go away will vary depending on the infestation nature and severity, as well as the insect's life cycle. When the pest control professional applies the first treatment, you may perceive a decline in activity, but pests could resurface after hatching, requiring further treatments. On the other hand, you might see increased activity after the initial treatment, as it can force pests from their hiding spots. Fortunately, this should get better within a few days' time.

Can I remain in my home during pest control treatments?

You should be able to remain in your home for certain portions of the pest control treatment, such as sealing entry points. Should your service provider use a pesticide, you'll most likely need to leave your home along with your family and pets while you wait for the pesticide to dry. This can typically take a few hours.

Certain pest control treatments can take a while. For termite fumigation, the pest control company sets up a tent over your entire home for three days to apply the pesticide. You'll have to vacate your home during this process.

Are your treatments safe for my family and pets?

An experienced pest control professional knows how much of a product to use, the time needed for it to dry and when children and pets can safely return to the treated location. Before beginning any treatment, your service provider should inform you about what should be taken out of the area, including plants, food and animals.

Do you offer any “green” pest control methods?

Some pest control providers offer green solutions for treating an infestation. This means they use techniques with a lower environmental impact than traditional methods. Examples of eco-friendly pest control include sealing areas where pests might get in, trapping rodents and using less harmful ingredients.

What do I do if pests come back?

Many pest control services have guarantees and warranties in place to protect you if pests return before a predetermined date. These companies may offer a single service or continuous treatments to tackle a stubborn pest problem. Be sure to discuss the options with your provider.

Our methodology for selecting pest control companies

The Homefront Local team employs a proprietary scoring algorithm that evaluates companies based on key factors you value, such as average customer review ratings and trustworthiness indicators. Our method for determining trust involves a comparative analysis of the number of reviews a company receives compared to its local competitors. This leads to companies that have earned more trust from your local community being awarded a higher score. We review national pest control companies against our full pest control methodology. We score pest control companies based on service options, safety and certifications, service guarantees and customer service.