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Pest control in Tampa Bay–area suburbs

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Choosing a pest-control plan

  • Identify first. Termites, carpenter ants and fire ants need different treatments. A photo or sample helps the company quote the right one.
  • One-time vs. recurring. Recurring plans make sense for ongoing pressure (ants, roaches, scorpions); a one-time treatment can be right for a single problem.
  • Detached house or attached? In a detached house, perimeter treatment, slab-edge inspection and a termite plan are your call — ask for a written inspection report before a quote. In apartments, duplexes and townhomes, pests move between units, so a one-unit treatment often fails unless the building is treated too; ask whether the HOA or property manager already has a contract.
  • Termites and house age. On a newer house, find out whether the builder applied a termite pre-treatment and whether its warranty transfers. On an older one, an annual inspection is the usual baseline; ask whether a quote is for monitoring, liquid treatment or bait stations, since they aren't priced the same.
  • Read the contract. Renewal, cancellation and re-treatment terms. Renters: many leases make pest control the landlord's job.
  • Check the license. Commercial pest-control applicators must be licensed or certified by the state they work in. Ask for the company’s license number with the quote and check it with the state agency that issued it.

Do you need a pest pro, or can you handle it? A decision guide

The same guidance as the quiz on each city page, laid out in full. Find the line that matches your situation. The most urgent ones are listed first.

Act now A sting followed by trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or feeling faint

Call 911 now

Those are signs of a severe allergic reaction, which is a medical emergency. The insects can wait.

Do this now

  1. Call 911.
  2. If the person has a prescribed epinephrine auto-injector, help them use it as directed.
  3. Move everyone away from the nest.

Don't

  • Don't wait to see if the swelling goes down.
  • Don't drive the person yourself if an ambulance can come.
Get help today A nest inside the house or walls, or where people walk and sit

Keep people away and get a pro to remove it

A nest in a wall or next to a doorway means stings are likely, and treating it without protective gear is how people get stung many times.

Do this now

  1. Keep children and pets away from the area, and use another door if you can.
  2. Call a pest control company and say where the nest is. For honey bees, ask about live removal; beekeepers often relocate swarms.
  3. Note where insects are going in and out, but from a distance.

Don't

  • Don't seal the entrance hole of a nest in a wall. The insects can chew through into the house.
  • Don't swat, spray at close range, flood the nest or use fire or gasoline.
Get help today Mice or rats with chewed wires or food damage

Chewed wiring is a fire risk. Get help soon

Rodents chewing on wiring can start a fire, and droppings in food areas are a health risk. This needs a pest company, and possibly an electrician, soon.

Do this now

  1. Stop using any appliance or outlet with chewed cords or wiring, and have an electrician look at damaged wiring.
  2. Throw out food in chewed packaging and store the rest in sealed containers.
  3. Book a pest control company to find and seal entry points and set traps.
  4. Clean droppings wet: spray them with disinfectant and wipe them up with gloves on.

Don't

  • Don't sweep or vacuum droppings dry. That puts dust in the air.
  • Don't put poison baits where children or pets can reach them.
Book a visit Swarmers, mud tubes or soft or hollow-sounding wood

Book a licensed termite inspection this week

Termites work slowly, over months and years, so this is not a same-day emergency. But it won't stop on its own, and treatment depends on what kind and where.

Do this now

  1. Save a few swarming insects in a sealed bag or jar so the inspector can identify them.
  2. Photograph mud tubes and damaged wood where you found them.
  3. Book an inspection with a licensed pest control company, and check its license with the state agency that issued it.
  4. Ask for a written report: what they found, where, and the treatment options.

Don't

  • Don't break open mud tubes or spray them. It makes activity harder to find.
  • Don't sign a long contract on the spot. Get a second quote for a large treatment.
Book a visit Bed bugs

Contain them and book a professional treatment

Bed bugs hide in seams, cracks and furniture, and store-bought sprays and foggers rarely reach them. Professional treatment is usually what works.

Do this now

  1. Wash bedding and clothes from affected rooms on hot, and dry on high heat.
  2. Bag items you can't wash, and vacuum mattress seams and bed frames. Seal the vacuum bag and throw it out.
  3. Book a licensed pest control company and ask what preparation they need before treatment.
  4. Renters: tell your landlord in writing. Nearby units may need inspecting too.

Don't

  • Don't move to sleep in another room. The bugs follow and the problem spreads.
  • Don't use foggers or outdoor pesticides on beds or furniture.
Book a visit Mice or rats without damage yet

Trap, then seal the way in

Rodents come in through small gaps, and trapping only works for good once the gaps are sealed. You can start this yourself.

Do this now

  1. Set snap traps along walls where you've seen droppings, and check them daily.
  2. Look for gaps around pipes, vents, the garage door and the foundation, and seal them with steel wool and caulk or metal flashing.
  3. Store food, including pet food, in sealed containers.
  4. Call a pest company if you're still catching them after a week or two, or you can't find the way in.

Don't

  • Don't rely on poison bait alone inside the house. Rodents can die in the walls.
  • Don't handle droppings without gloves, or sweep them dry.
Book a visit Insects seen regularly, in more than one room, or causing damage

Book a pest control visit

Regular sightings in more than one room usually mean a colony or nest inside, which baits from a store rarely reach.

Do this now

  1. Note where and when you see them: kitchen, bathrooms, after rain, at night.
  2. Clean up crumbs, grease and standing water, and fix drips under sinks.
  3. Book a licensed pest control company, and ask what they'll use and where.
  4. Ask whether the treatment comes with a return visit if they come back.

Don't

  • Don't spray over baits a pro has put down. It stops them working.
  • Don't use foggers. They scatter insects deeper into walls.
Handle it yourself A nest or mound away from where people go

Leave it alone if it's out of the way

A nest or mound out of the way isn't urgent. Many are only active for a season.

Do this now

  1. Mark the spot so nobody mows or walks into it.
  2. For fire-ant mounds, bait products spread around the mound (not on it) are the usual approach. Follow the label.
  3. Call a pro if it grows, moves closer to the house, or someone at home is allergic.

Don't

  • Don't disturb the nest to see what's inside.
  • Don't use gasoline or fire on a nest or mound.
Handle it yourself One or two insect sightings

Start with cleanup and sealing

A few sightings, especially after rain or a change in weather, often stop with basic cleanup and sealing.

Do this now

  1. Wipe up food and grease, take out trash, and fix leaks under sinks.
  2. Seal gaps around doors, windows and pipes.
  3. For ants, bait stations work better than sprays because the ants carry the bait back to the colony.
  4. Call a pro if you keep seeing them after a couple of weeks.

Don't

  • Don't spray ant trails you're baiting. It stops them carrying the bait home.
  • Don't leave pet food out overnight.

Good to know

  • With children, pets or someone with asthma at home, keep any bait or product where they can't reach it, follow the label exactly, and ask a pest company which products they'd use before they treat.

This guidance was written with AI tools. It has not yet been reviewed by a person. It's general information, not professional advice. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

Common questions

How do I check a pest-control company’s license?

Commercial pesticide applicators are licensed or certified by their state. Ask for the business license number with the quote and look it up with the state agency that issued it.