10 best pest control companies in Medford, Massachusetts

In Medford, rats, mice and flies are the most common cause of issues. DIY prevention techniques may improve your pest issue, but you may need to bring in a pest control company for an existing infestation. A professional pest control service in Medford can pinpoint, address and resolve your pest problems.

Letting a pest issue go untreated can introduce a variety of risks to you, your loved ones and your pets. Insects and small animals can pass on disease, damage your home's structure and contaminate food.

Hiring pest control pros can substantially lower the damage from an infestation. They'll determine where pests have nested, and create a treatment plan that could include sealing entry points, using traps or spraying pesticides. 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 Medford

Look for pest control companies in Medford 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 Medford?

While pests are everywhere, the hot spots for different species differ. Check for the following signs of common Medford pests to determine whether you have an infestation:

• Ticks: While ticks usually stay close to the ground outside, they can hitch a ride on your pets, shoes and clothes and enter your home. Female ticks then lay eggs on curtains, in upholstery or in carpet fibers once inside your home. They may also nest in the lining or pockets of clothing, along baseboards and in corners.
• Rats: Signs of a rat problem include seeing a rat, finding droppings about half an inch long or hearing scratching in your walls or ceiling. Rats also create entryways for themselves by chewing through walls, doors and food packaging.
• Mice: If mice have infiltrated your home, you might catch a quick view of one or find droppings around the size of a grain of rice. Mice often gnaw on furniture and have a distinct musky scent. They construct nests with foraged materials and shredded fibers, and favor tight areas, so you may hear them in your walls and ceilings.
• Flies: Everyone sees the occasional fly buzzing around their home during the summer months, but if you see more than usual, there’s a good chance you have an infestation. Flies leave feces that look like clusters of black dots and often appear near sinks, high shelves and around trash. Another sign of an infestation is the presence of maggots, which are fly larvae, in waste.
• Wasps: The biggest sign of a wasp infestation is simply seeing more wasps around than usual. Many kinds of wasp nest above ground, but ground wasps generally make their nests in dirt underground. You may not notice a ground nest until you step on it. Wasps are known to swarm, and show significantly more aggression than bees. It's crucial to enlist professional help rather than attempting to remove a nest yourself.

How can you prevent pests in your Medford home?

While an infestation will usually require professional help, the best way to prevent pest infestations is to implement preventative steps.

Schedule regular preventative pest control

Left uncontrolled, insects and vermin can significantly harm your home and well-being. Discuss preventive options with a pest control service to stop infestations before they start. Experts may suggest that you set traps, seal access points or apply pesticides in specific areas.

Cover, seal or eliminate food sources

Pests primarily seek food, so making food hard to reach will keep them on their way. Keep food a minimum of half a foot off the floor and a bit away from the walls. Always ensure sinks, counters and food storage areas stay clean and disinfected between uses. Get rid of food scraps and other trash regularly, and keep your trash cans and dumpster areas neat.

Keep up with yard maintenance

Tall grass, standing water, leaves and trash create ideal habitats for insects and small animals. Maintaining a debris-free yard and regularly mowing your grass and trimming foliage are among the easiest ways to prevent an infestation from taking hold. Should you need expert lawn care assistance, look into whether national lawn care companies such as TruGreen operate in your location.

Seal off pest entrances

Sealing off entrances will discourage insects and small animals from coming inside. Rats, for example, 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 exclusion.

What are questions to ask your pest control provider?

When selecting a pest control provider, ask the following questions to verify they have the knowledge to handle your unique situation.

Are your technicians properly licensed and insured?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversees the use of pest control chemicals under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. Furthermore, the EPA mandates that restricted-use pesticide applicators and their supervisors have certification compliant with the agency's regulations as well as state, territorial and tribal legislation.

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources issues commercial applicator licenses and certifications to those providing pest control services in Massachusetts. Professionals must have a Commercial Applicator License or Certification in order to practice.

What treatment schedule do you recommend?

The treatment plan a pest professional recommends will vary based on the location of the property, the severity of the infestation, the particular pest type and the specific treatment method. In most cases, pest control companies advise against relying on a one-time treatment to get rid of household pests, as there will likely be insects at various stages of their life cycles that may have laid eggs in hard-to-find areas.

Pest specialists often suggest recurring treatments, some of which may be limited to the warmer months, while others last across all seasons. As a proactive measure, they might also recommend preventive treatments every two or three months to stop infestations from starting.

How long will it take to get rid of pests?

The time it will take for your pest issue to be resolved depends on the nature and severity of the infestation as well as the pest's life cycle. After your home's initial treatment, you might see a decline in activity, but pests may reemerge after hatching, requiring further treatments. Conversely, you could see a spike in activity following the first treatment, as it can push pests from their hiding spots. Fortunately, this should subside within a matter of days.

Can I remain in my home during pest control treatments?

You can stay in your home during certain portions of the pest control process, such as when holes and cracks are being sealed. However, if your service technician applies a pesticide, it might take a few hours to dry completely, and you'll need to leave the house during this period.

Some services take a particularly long time. During termite fumigation, the pest control company needs to erect a tent around your home for three days to apply the pesticide. You must stay elsewhere during that time.

Are your treatments safe for my family and pets?

An experienced pest control professional can gauge the right amount 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 removed from the area, including plants, food and animals.

Do you offer any “green” pest control methods?

A number of pest control services provide environmentally friendly methods for managing infestations. These companies employ techniques that have a smaller environmental impact compared to conventional methods. Eco-friendly pest control methods may include sealing off areas where pests can gain access, capturing rodents or applying pesticides made from natural sources.

What do I do if pests come back?

Many pest control services have guarantees and warranties in place if pests return before a certain date. Companies may offer a one-time treatment or ongoing treatments to resolve a stubborn pest problem. Ask your service provider what options they offer.

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.