Free for homeowners
Pest control in New Jersey
What are the most common pests in this state, and who handles them?
Pest control in New Jersey changes from the shore to the cities. Salt marsh mosquitoes brood after tidal flooding, blacklegged ticks hold the wooded central and western counties, and termites swarm statewide in April. A New Jersey homeowner who submits a request through PestChief hears directly from 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 mosquito broods along the shore after tidal flooding
- Blacklegged tick pressure in central and western wooded counties
- Norway rat pressure in dense northern urban areas
- Eastern subterranean termites statewide
- Stink bugs overwintering in large numbers
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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey?
Cockroaches, rodents, ants, bed bugs and termites make up the bulk of New Jersey pest work, with sharp differences between shore and city:
- Salt marsh mosquito broods along the shore after tidal flooding
- Blacklegged tick pressure in central and western wooded counties
- Norway rat pressure in dense northern urban areas
- Eastern subterranean termites statewide
- Stink bugs overwintering in large numbers
When is pest season in New Jersey?
Pest season in New Jersey starts with April termite swarms and peaks in summer, then turns into indoor rodent and bed bug work.
Spring: April termite swarms statewide; ticks wake in the wooded central counties. Summer: Salt marsh mosquito broods peak at the shore; tick and roach activity climbs. Fall: Rodent and stink bug entry picks up as nights cool. Winter: Rodent, roach and bed bug calls continue indoors.
Who licenses pest control companies in New Jersey?
New Jersey assigns pest control oversight to the Department of Environmental Protection rather than an agriculture agency. The DEP certifies pesticide applicators and regulates commercial structural work, so ask for the technician's New Jersey DEP certification before treatment.
How much does pest control cost in New Jersey?
Nationally, published estimates run about $171 for a single visit (This Old House national average), $300 to $550 (HomeAdvisor) for a one time treatment program, and $300 to $900 (HomeGuide) per year on recurring plans. New Jersey's range of jobs, shore mosquito work to urban rodent work, is priced by the inspecting company. These are published national figures, not PestChief quotes.
Why are mosquitoes so bad at the New Jersey shore?
Salt marsh mosquitoes brood along the New Jersey shore after tidal flooding, so shore mosquito pressure arrives in waves tied to the tide cycle rather than to rainfall alone. Inland, the wooded central and western counties carry blacklegged ticks instead. Those two pressures are why New Jersey pest work changes so much from shore to interior.
Does PestChief cover New Jersey?
New Jersey coverage includes Newark, Jersey City, and the Camden and Cherry Hill area. Even in a three-metro state, the unit of coverage is the ZIP code, so check yours in the locations finder; each independent company sets its own map. PestChief gives a matched request to one local pest control company, which contacts the homeowner directly. If no company covers your ZIP code, PestChief tells you so.
Where does this information come from?
Seasonality and pest biology
- US EPA, Safe Pest Control
- UC Statewide IPM Program, Home and Landscape pests
- CDC, Rodents
- US EPA, Rodenticides
- US EPA, Integrated Pest Management principles
- US EPA, Bed Bugs
Pricing
National estimates from published industry sources. Not PestChief quotes.
Licensing
Licensing is administered by New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
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.