10 best pest control companies in Melrose, Massachusetts

Pests such as rats, mice and flies can often infest living spaces in Melrose. While you can consider DIY removal and prevention methods, an active infestation often requires a pest control professional's help. A professional pest control service in Melrose can pinpoint, treat and solve your pest problems.

Letting a pest issue go unchecked can introduce a variety of risks to you, your loved ones and your pets. Insects and small animals can contaminate your food, cause long-term damage to your home’s structure and spread disease.

Bringing in exterminators reduces these dangers. A technician will locate nesting areas, and create a treatment plan, using methods such as shutting off access points, capturing pests or spraying pesticides. Once the right solution is administered, pests can be controlled for the long haul.

Find the best local pest control company for you in Melrose

Look for pest control companies in Melrose 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 Melrose?

Though pests exist everywhere, they don't equally target the same regions. Here are some signs of common pests in Melrose.

• Rats: Signs of a rat infestation include seeing a rat, finding droppings about half an inch long or hearing skittering in your walls or ceiling. Rats can chew through food packaging, walls and doors to create access points for themselves.
• Flies: It's normal to find the occasional fly buzzing around your home during the summer months, but if you see a large number, you could have an infestation. Flies leave waste that looks like clusters of black dots near sink drains, around trash and on high shelves. The presence of maggots, which are fly larvae, in trash or other food waste also suggests an infestation.
• Snakes: Snakes become more active when the weather is warm, nesting in overgrown grass, rock piles, wood and debris. 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 service immediately.
• 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 chew on furniture and have a musk. They make nests with scavenged bits and pieces and shredded fibers, and favor tight areas, so you may hear them in your walls and ceilings.
• Bed bugs: Bed bugs are flat, reddish-brown, wingless insects about the size of apple seeds. Found in multi-unit apartments and hotels, they can cling to belongings, such as purses, clothing, backpacks and used furniture. They hide in your bed and in small cracks and crevices during the day then become active during the night. When you have an infestation, you may spot the insects or find blood stains on your mattress or other furniture.
• Spiders: The easiest way to tell whether you have a spider infestation is to notice a increasing amount of spiderwebs in your home. Other telltale signs include visible egg sacs and a plentiful supply of other insects, which spiders like to feast on. Most spiders in homes are not dangerous, except for the brown recluse and black widow. Both have painful, venomous bites.

How can you prevent pests in your Melrose home?

Fighting a pest infestation can be a nightmare, so preventative measures are the most reliable method to prevent future problems. Though infestations often require expert intervention, you can implement the following measures to keep pests away before they make their way into your home.

Schedule regular preventative pest control

Bugs and small animals can wreak havoc on your home and health if not addressed quickly. Talk to a pest specialist about preventative measures to stop pests from entering your living space. Their recommendations may include sealing off cracks and holes, placing traps or applying pesticides around the area.

Cover, seal or eliminate food sources

Pests mainly seek food, so making food hard to reach will keep them on their way. Keep food a minimum of six inches off the floor and a bit away from the walls. Always ensure counters, sinks and food storage areas stay clean and sanitized 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

Pests can take refuge in tall grass, trash, standing water and leaves in your yard. One of the easiest methods to avoid an infestation is to keep your yard clean and properly maintained with mowed grass and pruned foliage. If you require professional landscaping services, check if national lawn care providers such as TruGreen are available in your area.

Seal off pest entrances

Sealing off entry points into your home will help prevent insects and small animals from entering. Rats, for example, can wriggle into holes just a half-inch in diameter. Repair gaps in your roof or siding, and remember to seal broken window frames. Some pest control providers offer specialized pest exclusion services to keep critters out.

What are questions to ask your pest control provider?

To ensure you hire a pest control provider that's prepared to meet your specific needs, ask these questions.

Are your technicians properly licensed and insured?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversees the application of pest control substances 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?

A pest expert's recommended treatment frequency will be determined by factors such as the infestation severity, treatment type, pest type and property location. Generally, pest control providers do not recommend only a single treatment, since insects are often at different phases of their life cycle, and may have laid eggs in hard-to-access places.

Pest pros typically suggest recurring treatments, some of which may only occur during the warmer months, while others are year-round. They may also suggest bimonthly or quarterly preventative treatments to stop an infestation before it starts.

How long will it take to get rid of pests?

The time needed to get rid of your pest problem will vary based on the type and extent of the infestation, along with the pest's life cycle. After the pest control specialist applies the initial treatment, you may see less pest activity. However, pests might reappear once they hatch, warranting additional treatments. Alternatively, you may notice more activity following the first treatment, as it can drive pests out of their hiding places. The good news is this should subside within a few days.

Can I remain in my home during pest control treatments?

You can stay in your home for certain portions of the pest control treatment, such as sealing holes and cracks. 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 typically takes a few hours.

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 release the pesticide. You must stay elsewhere during that time.

Are your treatments safe for my family and pets?

A professional will understand the proper amount of a product to apply, the duration necessary for it to dry, and when it is safe for children and pets to come back to the treated area. Your pest control provider should tell you what items you must take out of the space such as animals, plants and food before beginning the treatment.

Do you offer any “green” pest control methods?

A number of pest management companies provide green solutions for treating infestations. This means they use techniques with a lower environmental impact than traditional methods. Examples of eco-friendly pest control include sealing potential pest entry points, trapping rodents and using naturally sourced pesticides.

What do I do if pests come back?

Most pest control providers offer guarantees and warranties should pests reappear before a specified date. Some companies may provide a single treatment, while others offer ongoing treatments to address recurring pest issues. Discuss the available options with your pest control expert.

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.