Free for homeowners
Pest control in West Virginia
What are the most common pests in this state, and who handles them?
Pest control in West Virginia is dominated by ticks and attic wildlife: tick pressure runs through forested and edge habitat statewide, while squirrels, raccoons and bats get into attics in rural and wooded areas. Carpenter ants follow moisture damage, and termites stay in the valleys and lower elevations. PestChief matches West Virginia homeowners with one independent local pest control 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?
- Tick pressure in forested and edge habitat statewide
- Carpenter ants in older homes with moisture damage
- Squirrels, raccoons and bats entering attics in rural and wooded areas
- Eastern subterranean termites in valleys and lower elevations
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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia?
Ticks and attic wildlife set West Virginia apart; termites matter mainly in the valleys. The local pressures:
- Tick pressure in forested and edge habitat statewide
- Carpenter ants in older homes with moisture damage
- Squirrels, raccoons and bats entering attics in rural and wooded areas
- Eastern subterranean termites in valleys and lower elevations
When is pest season in West Virginia?
Pest season in West Virginia starts in spring with ticks and attic-nesting wildlife, and ends with the fall move indoors.
Spring: Ticks emerge; termite swarms in lower elevations; wildlife nests in attics. Summer: Peak tick and mosquito pressure; wasp colonies build. Fall: Rodents and wildlife move into structures. Winter: Indoor rodent and attic wildlife activity.
Who licenses pest control companies in West Virginia?
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture certifies pesticide applicators and regulates commercial structural pest control through its Pesticide Licensing program. Ask to see the West Virginia certification before any work and check that it covers the pest you have.
How much does pest control cost in West Virginia?
Benchmark figures are national: about $171 per single visit (This Old House average), $300 to $550 (HomeAdvisor) for a one time treatment program, and $300 to $900 (HomeGuide) a year on a recurring plan, never PestChief quotes. In West Virginia, attic wildlife exclusion is a different job from an insect treatment, so describe the animal when you ask, and the company that inspects your home sets the price.
What gets into West Virginia attics?
Squirrels, raccoons and bats get into attics across rural and wooded West Virginia, usually through soffit gaps, ridge vents and damaged fascia. Wildlife exclusion is a different job from an insect treatment, involving entry sealing and, for bats, timing around the maternity season. Describe the animal when you make the request so the match fits the work.
Does PestChief cover West Virginia?
West Virginia coverage includes Charleston, Huntington and Morgantown. In mountain terrain, coverage is set ZIP code by ZIP code and company by company, so the locations finder with your own ZIP code is the check that counts. PestChief passes your request to one independent local pest control company that covers your ZIP code and handles your pest, and that company contacts you directly. If no company covers your ZIP code, PestChief tells you so.
Where does this information come from?
Seasonality and pest biology
- MSU Extension: Fall house-invading insects
- Penn State Extension: Brown marmorated stink bug
- US EPA, Termites
- LSU AgCenter
- US EPA, Integrated Pest Management principles
- UC Statewide IPM Program, Home and Landscape pests
- CDC, Rodents
- US EPA, Rodenticides
Pricing
National estimates from published industry sources. Not PestChief quotes.
Licensing
Licensing is administered by West Virginia 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.