General pest control for common insects like ants, spiders, and roaches typically costs $100 to $300 for a one-time treatment, or $40 to $150 per visit for an ongoing maintenance plan.
Why Hiring an Exterminator Is Worth It: Saves Money in the Long Run – A one-time infestation can cause thousands of dollars in home damage. Prevention is cheaper than repairs. Eliminates Hard-to-Kill Pests – Bed bugs, termites, and rodents are nearly impossible to eliminate without professional treatments.
Termites dislike strong scents like clove oil, neem oil, tea tree oil, and orange oil. These natural repellents can help deter them but aren't a permanent solution. Worker and soldier termites usually live 1–2 years, while termite queens can survive for over a decade, sometimes up to 25 years in ideal conditions.
Exterminators widely agree that bed bugs are the hardest pest to get rid of. Their ability to hitchhike, resilience against over-the-counter pesticides, and talent for hiding in microscopic crevices make DIY eradication nearly impossible.
Termites and bed bugs are typically the most expensive pests to exterminate.
Cockroaches, bed bugs, mosquitoes, and ants are considered the most annoying pests due to their invasiveness, health risks, and difficulty to eliminate. Cockroaches are often ranked the most hated, causing 27.3% of users to list them as the worst pest, while bed bugs are considered the most difficult to eradicate.
The mayfly is the most famous insect known for an adult lifespan of just 24 hours (with some species lasting only a few minutes or hours). As adults, they have no functional mouthparts and do not eat; their sole purpose in this short window is to swarm, mate, and lay eggs.
The Top 10 Most Common Household Pests and How to Identify Them
But there are a few ways to tell the difference. Pattern: Bed bug bites may appear in a linear pattern, as a series of multiple bites in a row or a zigzag. Flea bites often show up in clusters of three (sometimes also in a straight line).
The Bible contains no commands against killing insects and does not classify it as a sin. Instead, scripture establishes that humans have "dominion" over the earth and its creatures, making it completely acceptable to remove or kill pests to protect your health, home, and livelihood.
Liquid termiticides (like fipronil or imidacloprid) and aerosol termite-killing foams kill termites on contact and begin working within minutes. While these methods provide an instant, localized kill, they will not eradicate the entire hidden colony.
Termites are notoriously stealthy, but a few key indicators can reveal their presence before major structural damage occurs. Look for mud tubes along exterior foundations, piles of tiny wings on windowsills, hollow-sounding wood, and small, wood-colored mounds of droppings (called frass).
Alaska is the only U.S. state without any native termite populations. The state's severe cold temperatures and permafrost, which freezes the ground year-round, make it impossible for colonies to survive.
The only methods that guarantee a 100% kill rate for both bed bugs and their eggs are extreme heat and professional multi-step pest control treatments.
Among all predators, ants are the greatest enemy to termites. Some ant genera are specialist predators of termites. For example, Megaponera is a strictly termite-eating (termitophagous) genus that perform raiding activities, some lasting several hours.
Preparing for your first pest control visit
If you are looking to eliminate common household insects on a budget, Terro Liquid Ant Bait (approx. $6−$8) and Ortho Home Defense Insect Killer (approx. $10−$17) provide the highest return on investment.
If you are getting bitten at night, the most likely culprits are bed bugs, mosquitoes, fleas, or mites. Bed bugs often leave itchy, red welts in lines or clusters on exposed skin (face, neck, hands). Inspect your mattress seams, headboard, and sheets for tiny reddish-brown bugs or small blood spots.
Here's a lineup of fragrant, natural bug repellents that smell amazing to humans, but are offensive to insects:
The mayfly is the most famous bug that dies in a single day. In fact, some species have an adult lifespan as short as five minutes.
With such an important role, it's no surprise termite queens hold the title for the longest-living insect, typically living between 25 and 50 years. That's about 500 times longer than males and 10 times longer than worker termites. Some scientists even believe termite queens can even live up to 100 years!
The "dirtiest" bugs are typically those that act as mechanical vectors, meaning they pick up bacteria, viruses, and parasites from feces and decaying matter and transfer them to surfaces.
Scary Bugs & Creepy Insects From Around the World
This buggy-eyed beast is the spiny devil katydid (Panacanthus cuspidatus), also known as the thorny devil. It wears its characteristic head protrusion like a tiny little crown, and rightly so, because these bizarre insects rule the forest.