Free for homeowners
Pest control in Maryland
What are the most common pests in this state, and who handles them?
Pest control in Maryland runs on three fronts: salt marsh mosquitoes around the Chesapeake Bay, blacklegged and lone star ticks in wooded suburbs, and eastern subterranean termites swarming statewide in April. Norway rats work Baltimore's row housing. To get help, Maryland homeowners can use PestChief, which sends the request to one local company.
Where can you read about each pest?
Pest pressure here is shaped by climate, geography and housing stock, so it varies across the state. The notable issues for this state are set out on this page. For how each pest is identified, what the signs look like and what treatment usually involves, read the pest guides.
What is the climate like here?
Climate is the biggest single driver of which pests live here and how long their season runs.
Which pest issues stand out here?
- Salt marsh and container mosquito breeding around the Chesapeake Bay
- Blacklegged and lone star ticks in wooded suburban yards
- Eastern subterranean termites statewide
- Norway rat pressure in Baltimore's alleys and row housing
- Stink bugs overwintering in large numbers in central Maryland
Which pests are active in each season?
Activity shifts through the year, so the pest worth treating in March is rarely the one worth treating in August.
Which pests are active in spring?
Which pests are active in summer?
Which pests are active in fall?
Which pests are active in winter?
How does pest pressure vary by region?
Pest pressure is not uniform across a state. Elevation, humidity, soil and the age of the housing stock all change which pests appear and when.
Which regions of the state face which pests?
When do termites swarm in each region?
Is your ZIP code in Maryland covered?
PestChief is free to the homeowner. Coverage is checked ZIP code by ZIP code, not state by state. Give your ZIP code and the pest you are seeing, and if an independent local pest control company covers that ZIP code and handles that pest, your request goes to that one company, and it contacts you directly.
What licensing should you ask a company for?
Licensing is the one check a homeowner can make before any work starts. Every state requires a pest control company to hold a license, and most require a separate certification for specialty work such as termite treatment. Ask for the license number, confirm it covers the pest you have, and check it with the state agency that issues it.
What does this state require of a licensed company?
What else should you know about this state?
A few state specific details that change how pest control works here, and what they mean for a homeowner.
Which metro areas are covered?
Coverage varies inside a state, not only between states. A company that covers one metro area may not cover a rural ZIP code two counties away, and the pests it is licensed to treat can differ as well. The metro areas listed here are where PestChief most often has a company to introduce you to. If your city is not listed, a ZIP code check is still worth doing.
What do homeowners ask most?
What pests are most common in Maryland?
Maryland's most frequent calls are ants, cockroaches, spiders, wasps and hornets, and mosquitoes. These pressures drive most of them:
- Salt marsh and container mosquito breeding around the Chesapeake Bay
- Blacklegged and lone star ticks in wooded suburban yards
- Eastern subterranean termites statewide
- Norway rat pressure in Baltimore's alleys and row housing
- Stink bugs overwintering in large numbers in central Maryland
When is pest season in Maryland?
Pest season in Maryland starts with April termite swarms and peaks in a humid summer of mosquito and tick pressure.
Spring: Termite swarms in April; ticks and overwintering stink bugs become active. Summer: Mosquito and tick pressure peaks; roach activity climbs. Fall: Rodents and stink bugs move indoors in numbers. Winter: Indoor rodent and roach work, Baltimore row housing included.
Who licenses pest control companies in Maryland?
The Maryland Department of Agriculture administers pesticide business licensing and regulates structural pest control services. Ask the company to show its Maryland pesticide business license and to confirm the applicator certification covers your pest.
How much does pest control cost in Maryland?
Use the published national ranges as a baseline: a single visit at about $171 (This Old House national average), $300 to $550 (HomeAdvisor) for a one time treatment program, and $300 to $900 (HomeGuide) per year on a recurring plan. They are national estimates from published sources rather than PestChief quotes, and the Maryland company that inspects your home sets the actual figure.
When do termites swarm in Maryland?
Eastern subterranean termites swarm statewide in Maryland in April. That April window is when colonies reveal themselves, and it is also when ticks and overwintering stink bugs become active again in central Maryland. By summer the state's pressure shifts to Chesapeake Bay mosquitoes and ticks in wooded suburban yards.
Does PestChief cover Maryland?
Baltimore is the covered Maryland metro. A state being covered does not make every Maryland address covered, so run your ZIP code through the locations finder; service areas are set by each independent company. When there is a match, PestChief hands the request to one local pest control company for that ZIP code and pest, and you hear from that company directly.
Where does this information come from?
Seasonality and pest biology
- US EPA, Integrated Pest Management principles
- UC Statewide IPM Program, Home and Landscape pests
- US EPA, Safe Pest Control
- Penn State Extension
Pricing
National estimates from published industry sources. Not PestChief quotes.
Licensing
Licensing is administered by Maryland Department of Agriculture.
Ready to get this handled?
It costs the homeowner nothing. Coverage is checked ZIP code by ZIP code. Give your ZIP code and the pest you are seeing, and if an independent local pest control company covers that ZIP code and handles that pest, your request goes to that one company. It contacts you directly, and it sets its own price.
What should you check before you hire?
Every state we cover
Browse the full list of states and metro areas, and check whether your area is covered.
Pests, one by one
Identification, signs of an infestation and what to do first, for each pest we cover.
What pest control costs
National ranges by treatment type, with the basis for each figure stated plainly.
Season by season
Which pests get active when, and the months worth acting in before a problem grows.
Learn the basics
Plain explanations of treatments, prevention and the questions worth asking a company.
How PestChief works
We match a homeowner with one independent local pest control company. Here is what happens.