Best Pest Control in Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh has many of the same pest problems as other metropolitan cities. In outlying areas of Western Pennsylvania, subterranean termites thrive and regularly swarm from March through May. Most recently, Pittsburgh has fallen victim to the resurgence of bed bugs, the rise of stink bugs and a spotted lanternfly threat. In suburban areas, additional unwanted guests include mice and ants. Moreover, cockroaches and flies persist at restaurants and other food service establishments.

• Deer mice: Deer mice prefer living outdoors, but can be found in cellars, attics and crawl spaces in heavily wooded areas. They carry hantavirus, a severe, sometimes fatal respiratory disease spread by breathing dust or eating food contaminated by feces and urine.
• House mice: House mice frequent old or dilapidated structures with cracks, crevices and roof gaps, looking for warm air when it starts to get cold. Often found in the city’s commercial dining areas, house mice are also prevalent in areas surrounding major construction zones.
• Carpet beetles: In residential areas in and around Pittsburgh, the carpet beetle is a familiar uninvited guest most common in spring. They can damage carpet, clothing, household fabrics and dried food products like pasta, cereal and nuts. They’re attracted to flowering plants and light, and because they’re small, they can easily fly in through broken screens. Carpet beetles don’t bite, but they can cause allergic reactions.
• Japanese beetles: Japanese beetles, a recurring summer pest, can be found in residential areas where they feed on grass and ornamental plants. Homeowners are encouraged to treat their lawns and gardens to ward them off. They can also be handpicked from plants and disposed of in a sealed plastic bag, or captured in beetle traps, ideally placed away from plants and gardens.
• Water bugs: Oriental cockroaches — sometimes called “water bugs” — are found in and around drains and sewer pipes due to their need for water. In homes and businesses, they can be found in damp, dark places, like basements and crawl spaces. They often crawl up drain pipes to gain access to homes.
• German cockroaches: German cockroaches are one of the smaller species of cockroach. Although they possess long wings, German cockroaches don’t often fly. Usually, they’re hitchhikers and brought into homes in boxes or used furniture or appliances. They’ll feed on any food — even pet food — as well as paper, toothpaste and glue.
• American cockroaches: The American cockroach is the largest and most common of the three. They have wings that fly short distances. They often fly or crawl their way in at night, since they’re drawn to light. They feed on starches, such as plant leaves, paper, cardboard and pet food. However, they’ll also eat anything they come across, including human hair and fingernail clippings.
• Bed bugs: According to the Allegheny County Health Department, more than half of apartments adjacent to infested apartments are also infested with bed bugs. Furthermore, most residents with infestations are unaware of an infestation. Bed bugs painlessly bite and feed on human blood during the night, leaving behind itchy red bumps on the skin. They can infest single-family homes in less than three months and cause mass infestation just was quickly in apartments and condominiums.
• Ants: In the Pittsburgh region, the four common types are odorous house ants, carpenter ants, pavement ants and acrobat ants. True to their name, odorous house ants emit a rotten smell when crushed or threatened. Carpenter and pavement ants can cause severe structural damage. Acrobat ants occupy previously used tunnel systems created by other ants or termites and can strip the insulation off of wires while foraging for food.
• Flies: Houseflies, fruit flies and drain flies are common and problematic in commercial zones where food storage, production and consumption takes place. An excessive fly population gives rise to public health concerns because flies are known to carry over 100 pathogens that can cause disease — including salmonella, cholera and E. coli.
• Termites: Pittsburgh is home to the most destructive of all termites — the subterranean termite. These termites are most damaging to wood and can cause significant damage to buildings of all types. It’s estimated they cause approximately $5 billion in property damage across the U.S. each year. Moreover, Pittsburgh ranks among the top 20 cities nationwide with the most termite-related service calls.

For more information on local pests and pest control, the Allegheny County Health Department provides resources on bed bugs and rodents. The Penn State Department of Entomology also has fact sheets and other materials on nearly every pest found in the area.