Can you do your own pest control, or should you hire an exterminator?
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
Where should you start?
With the work no license covers. The EPA's first advice for any pest is to starve them out, dry them out and keep them out before using a pesticide: store food in sealed containers, clean up crumbs, keep trash tightly covered, fix leaking faucets and appliances, seal cracks along baseboards and around pipes, repair screens, and clear clutter such as stacks of cardboard and paper. It notes that roaches can live a month without food but can die within a week without water.
None of it needs a license.
Is it legal to apply pesticides in your own home?
Generally, yes, within the label. Pennsylvania's regulation, 7 Pa. Code Chapter 128, requires certification for anyone who applies pesticides on the property of another. Its list of other cases that need certification does not include a homeowner using general use products in their own house. The same rule binds everyone: no one may use a pesticide in a way inconsistent with its label, and the EPA says it is illegal to use a product inconsistent with its label directions. The EPA also warns that illegal, unregistered pesticides are sold and can pose risks.
There are exceptions. The regulation requires certification to use restricted use pesticides, and to fumigate, even on your own property. An owner of an apartment building of four or more units who treats the building with pesticides other than disinfectants must be certified too, unless they live there and treat only their own unit with general use products.
Which pests can you handle yourself?
The agencies describe homeowner methods for several.
- Mice. The CDC's approach is to seal holes, then set traditional snap traps along walls, check them daily, and use poison bait stations only for infestations that persist. It advises against glue traps and live traps. The EPA notes that rodenticides sold to consumers come only as ready-to-use bait stations; the stronger second-generation baits are no longer registered for consumer products, only for professional use.
- Ants and roaches. The EPA's food, water and entry-point steps come first; if you use a product, the label decides where and how.
- Small wasp nests. Penn State Extension says a newly started nest with no workers yet carries a low sting risk and often takes only a few minutes to deal with.
- Stink bugs indoors. Vacuuming and sealing gaps; sprays do not prevent more from emerging.
Which jobs do the agencies say to leave to professionals?
- Termites. Penn State Extension does not recommend that homeowners treat their own homes, because termiticides are hard to obtain, the equipment is specialized and costly, and building a continuous barrier in the soil takes experience. The EPA says termiticide application can in most cases only be properly done by a trained professional, and that a badly done soil treatment can contaminate the home and nearby wells.
- Bed bugs. The EPA says to get a professional involved as soon as possible, because time spent trying to treat it yourself can let the infestation spread. Its tips warn that home freezing may not be reliable, and that raising the heat with the thermostat or space heaters will not work.
- Large or hidden stinging insect nests. Penn State says hiring a professional is often worth the cost: the technician takes the risk of being stung, and the company carries liability insurance. It says anyone allergic to stings should not attempt to remove a colony, and that no precaution is completely sting-proof.
- Carpenter ant satellite nests. Penn State says it is unlikely a satellite colony in the house can be eliminated without materials used by professional companies.
- Raccoons, squirrels and other wildlife. Removing nuisance wildlife for another person requires a Game Commission permit. On your own property, Penn State's landowner guide says to call the regional Game Commission office before acting if you are unsure a method is lawful.
What should you avoid doing yourself?
- Overusing foggers. The EPA says total release foggers use flammable propellants that can cause a fire or explosion, should be kept at least six feet from pilot lights and other ignition sources, and should not be the only method used against bed bugs.
- Moving products into other containers. The EPA says to keep pesticides in their original containers and never in anything that could be mistaken for food or drink. Pennsylvania's regulation also forbids keeping a pesticide in a container labeled for food or drink.
- Leaving baits within reach. The EPA says household rodent poisons in pellet form are no longer sold in stores because they can poison children and pets.
How do you decide?
Ask three questions:
- Do I know exactly what the pest is? If not, identification comes first; the EPA suggests showing an insect to your local extension agent.
- Does the job need a product or equipment I cannot legally or safely use? Termiticides, fumigation and restricted use products do.
- Is the risk to me, my children or my pets higher than the cost of a visit? Stinging insect allergies and bat contact are clear cases.
If the answer to any of these is yes, see signs you need pest control and the cost guide before you call, and use how to choose a company to check whoever you hire.
Sources
- Do you really need to use a pesticide?, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- 7 Pa. Code Chapter 128. Pesticides, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Code)
- Pesticides Must be Registered with EPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- How to Trap Up to Remove Rodents, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Restrictions on Rodenticide Products, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Eastern Subterranean Termites, Penn State Extension
- Hiring a Pest Management Professional for Bed Bugs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Top Ten Tips to Prevent or Control Bed Bugs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Getting Rid of Paper Wasps, Yellowjackets, and Other Stinging Insects, Penn State Extension
- Carpenter Ants, Penn State Extension
- Safety Precautions for Total Release Foggers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- 58 Pa. Code Subchapter T. Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Code)
- Landowner's Guide to Wildlife Control and Prevention Laws in Pennsylvania, Penn State Extension
- Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Reduce Your Child's Chances of Pesticide Poisoning, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency