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While bug spray or long sleeves may stop you from being eaten alive, you may consider hiring a mosquito control company if you want to remove mosquitoes from your yard. These companies will inspect and evaluate your property to determine the best solution or combination of best solutions to remove or reduce biting insects from your yard. With a combination of sprays, preventative landscaping and reduction of stagnant water, companies can work with you to greatly reduce the mosquito presence in your backyard.
We’ve reviewed 16 different pest and mosquito control companies and ranked the top five below to help you find the best fit for your home and your needs.
Arrow Exterminators topped our list of best mosquito control companies due to its stellar customer reviews, Better Business Bureau accreditation an A+ rating and the company’s convenient service. Arrow serves 12 U.S. states and treats for termites, cockroaches, ants, rodents and birds, but also offers mosquito control. Arrow also sets itself apart from the competition with easy-to-use online quote creation through its website and the company offers a free pest inspection and whole-home evaluation.
Founded in 1928, Ehrlich has been making a name for itself in the pest control industry for nearly a century. Ehrlich uses environmentally safe, EPA-registered products to treat your lawn, vegetation and any standing water such as fountains or birdbaths. The company offers free quotes over the phone or email and a free inspection where its trained professionals will determine the best, customized solution to your pest problem.
If you’re looking for pest-free living all year long (why wouldn’t you be?) Ehrlich offers a signature pestfree365 program to treat over 36 common household pests by means of regular, seasonal treatments of your home.
Founded literally before sliced bread, Orkin has been providing professional, well-reviewed pest control services since 1901. With both residential and commercial services and integrated pest management offered in all but three U.S. states (Alaska, South Dakota, Wyoming), there’s a reason Orkin continues to be one of the most highly recommended companies for mosquito and other pest control.
Orkin’s mosquito treatment involves locating and reducing the mosquito’s development sites as well as providing vegetation management recommendations and treating with chemical products as needed.
Though Mosquito Joe is the youngest mosquito control company in our top five, the company has quickly made a name for itself in the outdoor pest control market by providing extremely well-reviewed services to 39 states. Mosquito Joe offers two main varieties of mosquito control: a barrier spray that targets the perimeter of your yard with EPA-approved chemicals every 21 days, and a natural mosquito control treatment that uses garlic or botanical plant oils sprayed every 14 to 21 days for full effectiveness.
Mosquito Joe also can install permanent misting solutions which regularly spray your deck, pool or grilling area to keep you bite-free when you’re outside. A mosquito repellant made of garlic? Sign me up.
For stellar mosquito control in the mid-Atlantic, Viking Pest Control services New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. Viking offers your standard mosquito and other bug control services as well as services for rodents, birds and bats.
With 41 years of BBB accreditation and an average of 4.82 star reviews, Viking is well known for providing excellent customer service from initial consultation to follow-up treatments. Viking offers custom-tailored solutions suited to your home or commercial property and a free, no-obligation estimate online or over the phone.
Most mosquito spray companies use “pyrethrins” or “pyrethroids.” The former is a chemical insecticide derived from chrysanthemum flowers, which are toxic to insects. The latter is a synthetic version of the same. Unfortunately, whether the mosquito control company uses the naturally-derived pyrethrin or the synthetic pyrethroid, these sprays are toxic not only to mosquitoes but to a wide range of insects including beneficial ones like butterflies, ladybugs, bees and other pollinators.
The EPA itself acknowledges even those pesticides the agency has approved for use are still highly toxic to bees—killing them on contact and for multiple days after the initial spray treatment. Killing bees is widely understood to be disastrous for the environment. Forbes Advisor does not recommend the use of any chemical compound that will kill bees.
Many mosquito spray companies are now offering alternative “organic” or “natural” spray options which are marketed as less dangerous to other, beneficial, insect life. Please note that the marketing term “organic” is highly regulated by the USDA and unless a “USDA Certified Organic” seal is present, no product labeled “organic” is subject to government—or any—regulation. Chemicals and pesticides approved for use on products labeled “USDA Certified Organic” are OMRI-listed as such, but even this does not guarantee these chemicals will not harm beneficial lifeforms.
Garlic is one safer alternative, as well as certain plant-based oils. Companies offering alternative sprays also tend to spray later in the day when mosquitoes are more active as opposed to in the middle of the day when bees and other beneficial insects are out. More research is needed to determine how harmful these alternative sprays may be, but they are more than likely less harmful, especially when not sprayed with direct contact onto good insects.
Knowing which type of spray your mosquito control company uses, and how and when that spray is applied, is an important factor when choosing the right company for you.
Since bee-killing chemical sprays should ideally never be used, the two most important alternative mosquito control methods to consider are source reduction and early intervention. Mosquitoes require stagnant water to develop, so identifying and removing sources of standing water such as fountains, birdbaths, gutters and garbage cans will stop mosquito larvae from developing.
For fountains, ponds, or other sources of water that cannot be drained, early intervention can be accomplished by homeowners (or pest control companies) placing mosquito dunks in the water. These small tablets contain bacteria that feeds on mosquito larvae but is relatively harmless to other wildlife and people. Ponds can also be stocked with koi fish, turtles, frogs or crayfish, all of which are voracious eaters of mosquitoes and their larvae.
Many mosquito control companies will also offer evaluation and advice on how to landscape your yard to minimize mosquito breeding areas without sacrificing a beautiful lawn. Companies that offer a package of “integrated pest management”, a combination of many methods designed to seamlessly work together both reactionary and preventatively, will likely be your best bet. Choosing those companies focused not just on chemical or natural sprays, but also on alternative control methods, will make sure you don’t damage the vital natural ecosystem around your home.
Many companies offer mosquito control as one of many other pest control services. Most companies featured on our list also offer pest control for a wide variety of bug species, as well as rodents, birds, lizards, rats and other common household pests. If you have problems with other pests in your home or want to make sure you never do, look for a company that offers bundled or packaged pest management. This will often save you thousands of dollars and hours of time a year since companies can send the same technician out to provide mosquito control and other services that your home may need.
The five companies featured on our list all offer free estimates, but not all of them offer free inspections. Saving money while you’re still determining the types of services you may need, or finding the best fit company for you, is especially important so look for companies with no obligation, free inspections and free estimates.
Finally, you’ll want to do some research into the reputation of the mosquito control company and make sure they have licensed, qualified technicians. These technicians will be wandering around your property, and if they are providing additional pest control services, investigating every nook and cranny of your home, so finding companies with reputable, qualified people is a must. We’ve featured five excellent companies on our list above but make sure to read company reviews on sites such as Google, Facebook or Yelp, especially when dealing with these nationwide companies that have specific franchise operations in your state. compare_best_propane_generators_2021 Compare Best Mosquito Control Companies
Searching for some reprieve from getting eaten by mosquitos every time you step out into your yard aside from bug sprays and citronella candles? Look into pest control companies that utilize a combination of sprays, preventative landscaping and removal of stagnant water to reduce the mosquito presence significantly in your yard. These mosquito control costs could range anywhere from $100 to $500 . Featured PartnersAdvertisementTHIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT AND NOT EDITORIAL CONTENT. Please note that we do receive compensation for any products you buy or sign up to via this advertisement, and that compensation impacts the ranking and placement of any offers listed herein. We do not present information about every offer available. The information and savings numbers depicted above are for demonstration purposes only, and your results may vary.1 ORKINBBB Rating A+States Serviced 47Effectiveness Guarantee Yes1 ORKINLearn More On ORKIN's Website 2 TERMINIXBBB Rating CStates Serviced 45Effectiveness Guarantee Yes2 TERMINIXLearn More On Terminix's Website
One of the first, and most important questions to ask is which mosquito control methods the company normally utilizes and if it uses integrated pest management techniques. Determining if a company uses chemical sprays, “natural” sprays and/or other methods can help you make an informed decision on the best fit company for you. Once a company comes to do an inspection and evaluation, it will probably be able to give you a more specific answer of what techniques the technicians plan to use.
If the mosquito control company does use sprays or determines it needs to based on your home’s pest situation, determining which chemicals the company uses is incredibly important. Making sure that all chemicals are EPA-certified and are safe for your children or pets (or your neighbors’ children and pets) remains vital.
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) was used as an insecticide in the 1940s and led to widely-studied environmental and health impacts and has been identified as a likely cause of birth defects. Organophosphates and other chemicals developed for use as insecticides or in chemical warfare have been used widely in pest control and agriculture before, and have since been banned. It often takes years to determine the long-term effect a chemical actually has on our health and environment, so it’s wise to be cautious about the use of insecticides in the spaces you and your loved ones frequent.
Confirm the technicians that the company sends out to your home are well-trained, have the appropriate qualifications and are licensed by the appropriate state pesticide regulatory office. These technicians will be in and out of your yard so knowing that they are reputable and well-qualified is incredibly important. Remember, however, that these technicians are also selling you a product: do careful research and consult independent, third-party scientific sources before choosing to buy a sales pitch from someone selling you a service for profit.
Many companies require a long-term contract or will heavily encourage you to sign one, since most pest control treatments require multiple visits to your home. If the company does require a long-term contract you should carefully read the terms of the contract and calculate what the costs are.
All the companies featured on our best-of list guarantee their work. You should determine what the terms of these guarantees are so you know if and when things do not go as planned, what you are entitled to in terms of re-visits by the company for further treatment and so on.
If bug spray or citronella candles are not protecting you from pesky mosquitos when you’re enjoying the outdoors, then finding mosquito control near you is crucial. First, to find an exemplary mosquito control service, there are several factors to consider, such as the company’s service area, scheduling and guarantees. A quick online search, “mosquito control near me,” should provide you with nearby options.
Next, it is recommended to get in touch with several companies to discuss a few things: scheduling, availability, control methods, treatment frequency, guarantees and more, to determine which company you will ultimately hire. Best Pest Control Companies By States And Cities FloridaHouston, TXMiami, FLPhoenixSan Antonio, TXSan Diego, CATexas
Best Pest Control Companies By States And Cities
To determine the best mosquito control company ranking, the Forbes Home Improvement editorial team analyzed third-party data on almost 15 major companies, with each company’s star rating determined by evaluating a variety of metrics, including:
Because mosquitoes need stagnant water in which to breed, the most effective form of controlling mosquitos is source reduction. Source reduction means removing all open containers, unclogging gutters and adding agitators or wildlife to any remaining water features to stop mosquito larvae from surviving within them.
A 1995 study found that only an average of 0.1% of sprayed pesticides reached the targeted pests. Companies offering integrated management solutions, with sprays only used as a last result, likely have better results than spray-only companies.
Professional companies use either naturally derived or synthetic pyrethroids to serve the same purpose as chrysanthemum flowers, which are toxic to mosquitoes. Many companies are also now using garlic or other “natural” pesticides which may not be as toxic to beneficial insects like bees, butterflies and ladybugs.
Spraying for mosquitoes is undoubtedly an effective solution to your problem. However, it would be best to educate yourself on the potential risks before doing so. From being harmful to natural foliage to exposing residents and pets to more toxins, it’s essential to consider if spraying for mosquitoes is worth the dangers it could cause, especially if you’re attempting to do it on your own.
Chauncey grew up on a farm in rural northern California. At 18 he ran away and saw the world with a backpack and a credit card, discovering that the true value of any point or mile is the experience it facilitates. He remains most at home on a tractor, but has learned that opportunity is where he finds it and discomfort is more interesting than complacency.
Lexie is a Deputy Editor who is responsible for writing and editing articles over a wide variety of home-related topics. She has over five years of experience in the home improvement space and harnessed her expertise while working for companies like HomeAdvisor and Angi (formerly Angie’s List).