10 best pest control companies in St. Louis, Missouri

Pests most often encountered in St. Louis are rats, spiders and mice. While you can consider DIY removal and prevention techniques, an active infestation most likely requires a pest control company's help. Qualified pest exterminators in the St. Louis area have the expertise to inspect your home, apply appropriate treatments and resolve your pest problems.

Pest infestations pose risks to your home, family and pets. Insects and small animals can pass on disease, damage your home's structure and contaminate food.

Hiring pest control professionals can substantially reduce the risk of an infestation. A pest professional will find infestations and treat them in a variety of ways, from sealing cracks and holes to using traps or pesticides. Once the right solution is administered, pests can be contained for the long term.

Find the best local pest control company for you in St. Louis

Look for pest control companies in St. Louis 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 St. Louis?

While pests are all over, not all of them infest the same regions. The following pests are common in St. Louis, and these are some signs of an infestation:

• Spiders: Seeing more spiderwebs and spiders than usual is the strongest indicator of spider infestations. Additional clues include a significant number of other insects for the spiders to feed on and visible egg sacs. While spiders found in homes are generally not dangerous, brown recluses and black widows deliver painful, venemous bites that require medical attention.
• Mosquitos: Standing water attracts mosquitoes, so you’re at a higher risk of an infestation if you live in a damp climate or have bodies of water nearby. Mosquitoes are active at night — as the sun goes down, they emit a loud buzzing noise and bite. You may not notice a bite until a few hours later, at which point the area around the bite turns into a bump and becomes itchy. Mosquitoes can carry diseases such as West Nile, malaria and dengue fever.
• 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 seeing maggots, which are fly larvae, in waste.
• Ticks: Though ticks usually stay close to the ground outside, they can make their way into your home via shoes, pets or clothing. Inside, female ticks can lay eggs in carpet fibers, in upholstery or on curtains. Nests may also be hidden in the lining or pockets of clothing, along baseboards and in corners.
• Moths: Clothes moths and pantry moths frequently infest homes. Clothes moths feed on wool and cotton, leaving trenches, silky furrows, tunnels and small tubes, which are larvae casings. Pantry moths breach plastic food packaging, leaving a web-like residue in pantry corners and on or in dried goods. Moths are naturally attracted to ripe fruits, fermented sugar and light.
• Mice: If mice have infiltrated your home, you might see one out of the corner of your eye or find droppings around the size of a grain of rice. Mice often damage 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.

How can you prevent pests in your St. Louis 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 can cause serious issues in your home and health if not addressed swiftly. Talk to a pest control expert about preventative measures to stop pests from entering your home. Their recommendations may include sealing off small entry points, 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 food storage areas, sinks and counters 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

Insects, snakes, and small animals can hide in standing water, tall grass, trash and leaves in your yard. One of the easiest methods to avoid an infestation is to keep your yard clean and properly maintained with cut grass and pruned foliage. If you require professional landscaping services, find out if national lawn care providers such as TruGreen service in your area.

Seal off pest entrances

Closing off access 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 holes in your roof or siding, and remember to seal broken window frames. Some pest control providers offer specialized pest prevention services to keep critters out.

What are questions to ask your pest control provider?

Ask the following questions to ensure you get a pest control expert that can address your specific needs.

Are your technicians properly licensed and insured?

Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversees the use of pest control chemicals. Moreover, the EPA requires restricted-use pesticide applicators and their supervisors to hold certifications consistent with the agency's standards and the laws of the affected states, territories and tribes.

Missouri requires pest control professionals to be licensed through the Missouri Department of Agriculture. They must have earned a Commercial or Noncommercial Applicator License in order to practice.

What treatment schedule do you recommend?

A pest control expert will recommend a treatment schedule based on the severity of the infestation, location of your property, type of treatment and type of pest. Pest control technicians typically discourage a single-treatment approach, as insects are frequently at different stages of their life cycles and may have laid eggs in hard-to-find spots.

Pest professionals generally advise ongoing treatments, with some taking place only in the warmer months and others happening year-round. Preventative measures may also be recommended to stop infestations before they begin.

How long will it take to get rid of pests?

How long it will take for your pest problem to be resolved depends on the type and severity of the infestation and the insect's life cycle. When the pest control professional applies the first treatment, you may see a decline in activity, but pests can return after they hatch, requiring more treatments. You may also notice increased activity after the first treatment, as it can drive pests from hiding places. Luckily, this should taper off within a few days.

Can I remain in my home during pest control treatments?

You can remain in your home for some parts of the pest control treatment, such as sealing entry points. If your service professional uses a pesticide, it may take hours to dry, during which time you'll need to be out of the house.

Some pest control services can be particularly lengthy. During termite fumigation, the pest control professional must set up a tent around your home for three days to release the pesticide. Throughout this timeframe, you'll have to stay at a hotel or with friends or family.

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 animals, plants and food.

Do you offer any “green” pest control methods?

A number of pest exterminators offer green solutions for addressing infestations. This means they use methods with a lower environmental impact than traditional methods. Eco-friendly pest control methods may include sealing off areas where pests can gain access, capturing rodents or applying pesticides made from natural ingredients.

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 one-time solution, 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.