The Best Pest Control Companies

Friday, June 7th

2024 Pest Control Company Reviews

Arrow Exterminators

• "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB
• 12-state service area includes Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia
• Full-service company specializing in pest control, termite protection, mosquito prevention and control, fire ant control, wildlife control and exclusion services, handyman services, insulation services, new construction treatments, and documentation for real estate transactions
• Available for both commercial and residential accounts
• Environmentally-friendly practices

Arrow Exterminators was founded in 1964. This family-owned pest control service operates in 12 states - Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia - and is the sixth largest in the nation.

Comprehensive pest control

When you work with Arrow Exterminators, you get a broad range of services to choose from. Of course, you can get the treatments you'd expect for insects: ants, cockroaches, spiders, stink bugs, silverfish, millipedes and centipedes, earwigs, house crickets, and pill bugs, as well as mosquito control. Under their "Additional Pest Control Services" menu, you'll also find options for fire ants, fleas and ticks, bed bugs, stinging insects, and scorpions. Termite control gets its own separate entry as well.

Wildlife be gone

But wait, there's more. Having issues with wildlife, like rats and mice, squirrels, raccoons, birds, or something more "exotic" like bats, opossums or snakes? You guessed it: Arrow has a solution for that as well.

Not just for extermination needs

This pest control company is absolutely a one-stop shop, because they also offer services that include handyman work, insulation, lawn care and moisture control. We read glowing reviews from customers who used Arrow Exterminators to provide comprehensive solutions: removing wildlife, creating barriers to re-entry, and repairing the mess the animal left behind.

Environmentally friendly

Arrow prioritizes treating problems in an environmentally-friendly way. Known as STEPS, short for Sustainability Through Environmental Practices and Solutions, it includes a detailed inspection to pinpoint not just the specific pests but the root cause of the problem, and then treat your home or office in the most "green" way possible to eliminate the issue and prevent future reinfestation. Arrow Exterminators is Green Pro Certified by the National Pest Management Association.

Schedule your free in-home pest inspection

The easiest way to get started with Arrow Exterminators is to fill out their online form for a free in-home pest inspection. You'll select any of their services you think you might need and provide any additional information you want them to know about your property, and a representative from your local branch will reach you to get you on the schedule.

Request an estimate

Or, if you already know what you need - maybe you've already got a pest control service and you're looking to switch providers - click on the box that says "I'd like to Order Services" . Select the pests you're targeting and/or the services you need, answer some questions about your home, and then submit your info to request an estimate.

Look for discounts

You should also check the Special Offers link at the bottom of the Arrow Exterminators' website. At the time of this review, we found discounts of $100 on the Sentricon termite protection system, $50 off the initial service for pest control/fire ants/mosquitoes, and $25 off the initial service for lawn care.

"A+" rated and accredited

As with most exterminators, your experience will depend on the service offered by the office that covers your location. However, it's worth pointing out that Arrow is one of only two pest control services in our review that has both an "A+" rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau.

Best all-around pest control service

You won't find another pest control company that offers as much as Arrow: environmentally-conscious treatments, a range of services to meet practically every need, and the best reputation in the business. Arrow Exterminators gets our highest recommendation among pest control services.

Bulwark Exterminating

• "A-" rated and accredited by the BBB
• Family owned since 1999
• 12-state service area includes parts of Washington, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee
• Pest treatments available for ants, beetles, bloodsuckers, centipedes and millipedes, clover mites, crickets, earwigs, fleas, flying pests, grasshoppers, mosquitoes, pill bugs, fire ants, roaches, rodents, silverfish, sowbugs, spiders, springtails, wasps, and weevils
• "Green" certified organic pest control options available
• Over 17,000 five-star reviews
• All technicians are drug screened and background checked

Since 1999, Bulwark Exterminating has been helping get rid of pests in areas of Washington, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Family owned by three brothers and their father - the Bulwark Family, of course - this company is accredited and "A-" rated by the Better Business Bureau and has been the recipient of the Angie's List Super Service Award.

Eliminates most common pests

Bulwark Exterminating doesn't come right out and tell you which pests they can help eliminate and prevent. But, when you go to their Pest Library, you'll see listings for ants, beetles, bloodsuckers, centipedes and millipedes, clover mites, crickets, earwigs, fleas, flying pests, grasshoppers, mosquitoes, pill bugs, fire ants, roaches, rodents, silverfish, sowbugs, spiders, springtails, wasps, and weevils. That's pretty comprehensive.

Use online chat to get a quick quote

While there's no automated way to get a quote on the Bulwark website, you should be able to get a ballpark when you use their online chat. When we clicked on it, thinking we could use their "bot" to get some basic answers, a rep popped into the chat to find out more about the services we needed. For reference, we were quoted an initial service fee of $394.10 and a monthly fee of $98.08 on a 6,000 sq.ft. home in the Salt Lake City metro area. All we had to provide was an address and the size of the home: no further contact information was required to get the estimate.

Takes extra steps for your safety

We love how Bulwark goes the extra mile for customers. All of their technicians are required to be drug screened and background checked: an added layer of peace of mind that you won't find with every pest control company. As an extermination service, they're certified organic, which means that they are required to try organic means before using pesticides to control pests. The products they use are pet- and people-friendly, less toxic than toothpaste and result from research done by colleges and universities. And, like most pest control services, your Bulwark technician will come back out between scheduled visits if you spot pests before your next treatment - at no charge.

More than 17,000 five-star ratings

All those efforts have definitely made an impression: out of more than 24,000 reviews, 17,000+ give this provider a perfect five-star rating. Even their listing with the BBB shows an average of 4.95/5 stars; considering that most people visit the Better Business Bureau's site to complain, it's astounding that nearly 2,000 people went there to praise Bulwark Exterminating. Across the board, customers say their technicians are respectful of their property, careful to listen to all concerns, and thorough in their application of products. This probably isn't the least expensive pest control service, but clients say that their pricing is fair and definitely worth the money.

Excellent choice for effective pest control

What's not to love about Bulwark Exterminating? Sure, you'd rather not need pest control services, but if you've got a bug or rodent problem that needs fixing, you can't go wrong with this company. Why go with a big-name exterminator that may or may not treat you like family when you can get reasonably-priced, effective pest elimination and prevention from a provider like Bulwark? If you're fortunate enough to live within one of their service areas, we strongly recommend you make this pest control website your first stop.

Ehrlich

• 18-state service area including Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as Washington DC
• Free inspections
• Green Pro certified
• Targeted pests can include ants, bed bugs, bees, birds, carpenter bees, cockroaches, crickets, fabric pests, fleas, flies, mice, mosquitoes, moths, rats, other rodents, snakes, spiders, stink bugs, termites, ticks and wasps
• No annual contract

Coming up on a century in business, Ehrlich is one of two exterminators in our evaluation owned by parent company Rentokil. This particular service works in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as Washington DC.

Free inspection, environmentally-friendly treatments

Ehrlich pest control services cover the usual array of insects, spiders, and rodents. This is one of the few companies we found that mentions snakes and birds as well. Whatever pest problem is plaguing you, your Ehrlich experience will start with a free inspection to analyze your property and determine the best approach to eliminate the current issue and prevent it from happening again. Any strategy will take an environmentally-friendly approach: Ehlrich is Green Pro certified, which means that non-pesticidal strategies will always be applied first.

Hooray for no contracts!

Your pricing will depend on the results of your inspection; Ehrlich doesn't even hazard a guess without conducting that first. But, this pest control company really got our attention with one small detail we found as we clicked through the site: "no long-term contract" . They put it this way: "We strive to earn your business every month." That's almost unheard-of in the extermination industry, and that represents a huge advantage for residential customers. Too many pest services lock people into long-term commitments and make it very hard to get out without hefty cancellation fees. Ehrlich is a breath of fresh air in that regard.

"A+" rated and accredited, few complaints

As we mentioned, Ehrlich was acquired by Rentokil and that can sometimes make it difficult to separate the reputations of the five brands held by that parent company. Fortunately, in the case of this pest control service, it was easy to find a standalone rating from the Better Business Bureau: a perfect "A+" and accreditation, one of only two exterminators in our review who can make that claim. There were only three complaints filed with the BBB in the past three years, which is almost unheard of.

Ample praise from highly-satisfied clients

Compliments abound for this pest control service. It's always a fantastic sign when clients take the time to write a positive review (since most reviews in any industry are coming from people who have had problems), and we found many from long-term, loyal customers of Ehrlich's various services. People seem to especially like their technicians, regularly complimenting them by name while praising their overall service experience.

Reliable pest control you should consider

Free inspections, no contracts, and a track record of excellent work: you couldn't ask for anything better from a pest control company, and Ehrlich does all of that and then some. We're pleased to rank this exterminator among our most recommended providers.

Truly Nolen

• "A+" rated by the BBB
• In business for over 60 years
• 7-state service area includes parts of Arizona, Florida, New Mexico, Utah, California, Nevada, and Texas
• Free inspections
• Services include pest control, termite control, lawn care, rodent control, bed bug control, insulation and more
• Satisfaction guarantee includes a refund for last scheduled service
• Commitment to being "green" , not just in the treatments used but also through reducing technician drive times, paperless billing, and other efficiency practices

If you've seen a yellow vehicle driving around with big mouse ears and a tail, you've probably got Truly Nolen exterminators in your area. Founded in Miami in 1938 by a man who was actually named Truly Nolen, the company currently services more than 150,000 customers in 80 locations throughout Arizona, Florida, New Mexico, Utah, California, Nevada, and Texas.

Free inspections

Truly Nolen is among a small number of exterminators who offer free inspections; many of their competitors roll an inspection fee into the cost of their service. You can request yours right on their website: indicate if your inspection is for a home or business (or for the purpose of facilitating a real estate transaction), the type of service you'll need, and your contact information. A representative will reach out to you within one business day to schedule the visit.

Easy online price quotes

Or, if you already know you want to set up pest control services, you can do that through the website as well. Enter your address, the approximate square footage of your home, and you'll get instant pricing you can set up immediately. For a 3,000 sq.ft. home in the Orlando area, we were quoted an initial service fee of $149 (reflecting a discount promotion of $50 in place at the time of our review), and monthly payments of $45. Keep in mind that those payments represent quarterly scheduled treatments, not every month.

Generous refund of last treatment if unsatisfied

Like the majority of pest control services, Truly Nolen will retreat your property between scheduled visits if you're still seeing signs of live bugs or rodents. But, they take their guarantee up a notch by offering a refund on your last scheduled service if you're still not satisfied.

Strong focus on the environment

This company is also committed to taking care of the environment. That goes beyond the products they use to treat your home or business: they actively seek to make their technician routing as efficient as possible to reduce drive times, to use paperless billing, and to promote other methods of efficiency that promote overall sustainability.

Terrific customer feedback

Truly Nolen has a solid reputation. The company overall earns an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau, and we were pleased to see that there were only three complaints filed against their headquarters in the three years leading up to this review. For such a big company, that's impressive. Specific customer feedback is equally good: we found reviews from clients who have used this pest control service for decades to effectively treat and then prevent problems with scorpions, cockroaches, and numerous other types of infestations. Of course, your experience will partly depend on the Truly Nolen office that covers your area, but there's no reason to expect that you'll get anything but quality service.

Pest elimination and prevention you can rely on

For most types of extermination and prevention needs, Truly Nolen is a great choice. You'll get transparent pricing, a free inspection, and a fantastic guarantee. This is easily one of our top picks among pest control companies.

Aptive

• "A-" rated and accredited by the BBB
• 32 states serviced: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin
• 12-month plan with five scheduled service appointments, retreatments between visits if necessary
• Covers most pests, but no treatments available for mosquitoes, termites or bed bugs
• One-year contract required, then month-to-month

Aptive is one of the newest pest control services in our evaluation, getting its start in 2015. It's also a company you can feel good about: they've donated nearly a million dollars to Nothing But Nets since 2017, funding treated bed nets to prevent malaria for almost 300,000 people worldwide.

Larger-than-average service area

Aptive's got a pretty broad coverage area. You'll find options in most metro areas of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. (Yes, that's 32 states.)

Little information without speaking to a representative

To get started, you can either call their toll-free number or use their online platform to get a quote or buy service. In getting a quote, you'll start by entering your contact info and indicating which type of pest you need help with: ants, spiders, cockroaches, stingers and biters, rodents, pantry pests or other. Unfortunately, you'll still have to wait for a representative to contact you: there's no preliminary estimate or even a way to just buy service outright.

Live chat didn't offer much help either

Even when we used Aptive's live chat to reach out to a customer rep, we were still told we'd have to wait for an account coordinator to give us any specifics; they wouldn't tell us anything about the treatment methods, contracts or guarantees. Not our favorite approach to customer service here.

One-year contract, no cancellation fee

We poked around a little to see what we could find out in advance, and we're pretty sure you can expect a year-long contract when you start with Aptive; after the first 12 months, your billing will go month-to-month with no further commitment. There's no cancellation fee, but if you used a promotion to get a discount on your initial service, you'll have to pay for that treatment in full if you cancel your contract.

Surprisingly numerous, positive client reviews

We'd really like to see more details on the Aptive site itself, because customer feedback is really noteworthy. Everywhere we looked, we found rave reviews: a 4.5/5 star average in one place (out of more than 8,500 ratings), 4.6/5 in another (out of 1,700+ ratings), you get the picture. Across the board, Aptive technicians are described as professional, thorough and knowledgeable, and we didn't see any customers complaining about the cost of the service. While there were a small number of negative reviews about billing or missed appointments, the bulk of the complaints (which were still relatively few) related to the door-to-door sales tactics that rub some people the wrong way.

Need more info, but still worth a shot

From everything we can see, Aptive is worth considering for pest control, especially if you don't need extra services for termites, bed bugs, or wildlife removal. For now, though, we're giving them a just-above-average ranking: we need to see a lot more transparency about pricing, contracts, terms and conditions before Aptive earns a spot among our most recommended exterminators. We still encourage you to give them a look and reach out for a quote to see how they compare with rival services in your area.

Massey Services

• "A-" rated by the BBB
• Over 750,000 customers
• 175 branches located throughout Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Oklahoma
• Service include pest control, termite prevention and treatment, irrigation and landscape services
• Free inspection
• Money-back guarantee offers refund of last regular service payment if problems aren't corrected within 30 days
• All team members have undergone detailed background checks

Massey Services has been in business for over 40 years, currently with 175 branches located throughout Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. The company is committed to protecting the environment by reducing dependence on pesticides and working to preserve water resources - earning recognition from the EPA and the Council for Sustainable Florida.

All-in-one services

Massey Services covers all of the pests you'd expect from an extermination company. And, if you need lawn care, irrigation system management, or landscape services, you can get that here too. This could be a great choice if you're trying to consolidate multiple services under a single provider.

Comprehensive, no-cost inspection

You can use the Massey website to request a free inspection. Not many pest control services do that at no charge. This inspection is comprehensive: expect it to take around 45 minutes, and the technician will need to have access to your entire property, including the attic and crawlspace (if applicable). Your technician will document all of the issues discovered during the inspection and come up with a customized treatment plan.

No pricing available prior to inspection

That's why you won't find any price quotes available on the Massey website. Each home is unique, and your pest control package will be too. You may be set up on a quarterly treatment plan or monthly service, depending on the severity of your pest issues.

Decent money-back guarantee

We're glad to see that Massey is one of the few exterminators in our review offering a money-back guarantee. Like most, they'll come back for extra service calls if you're seeing live pests between treatments. Massey takes it a step further by either providing continued services at no extra charge or by refunding your last regular service payment if your problem isn't resolved after 30 days.

Mixed reviews from clients

We were optimistic about Massey Services at first. They've got an "A-" from the Better Business Bureau and just 57 complaints filed there in the year prior to this review: not bad for a company with 750,000 customers. But then, we started digging into client feedback we found in various places, including Massey's own Facebook page. It was disheartening to see photos of lawns that had been killed by Massey technicians and to read stories from customers who found it almost impossible to get the company to make good on its guarantee - especially with technicians not showing up to perform the promised retreatments. Yes, there are also some very loyal Massey clients who have used the company for years, but it wasn't quite enough to entirely balance out the complaints.

Other services might be better

There are a few reasons you might want to give Massey a shot. After all, the inspection is free and there's no obligation to sign up for service (and nothing saying you can't take the results of the inspection to another pest control provider for comparison). You've also got, in theory anyway, a money-back guarantee that offers some reassurance. On the other hand, if you have a higher-ranked option in your area, it might be smart to give them a look before settling on Massey for pest control.

Orkin

• In business for over 100 years
• 400+ office locations worldwide
• 24-hour customer care
• Services target ants, bed bugs, beetles, carpenter ants, centipedes and millipedes, cockroaches, flies, crickets, earwigs, fleas, mites, mosquitoes, moths, rodents, silverfish, spiders, stinging pests, stink bugs, termites, and ticks
• Accredited by the Better Business Bureau
• Orkin guarantee gives you 60 days of complimentary service if you're not satisfied, plus a 30-day money-back promise

Orkin is one of the best-known names in pest control, due in no small part to the fact that they've been around for over a century. This company has over 400 offices around the world, and their service targets all of the pests you might expect: ants, bed bugs, beetles, carpenter ants, centipedes and millipedes, cockroaches, flies, crickets, earwigs, fleas, mites, mosquitoes, moths, rodents, silverfish, spiders, stinging pests, stink bugs, termites, and ticks.

Wider availability than most pest control services

One advantage of going with a big-name pest control company like Orkin is availability. Not only can you access their customer care team 24 hours a day, but you're more likely than not to have a local office near you. Customers in Alaska, Wyoming and South Dakota may have a harder time locating an Orkin branch that services their area, though.

No free inspections

If you're looking for a free home inspection, you're out of luck with Orkin. They'll give you a quote at no charge, but that's usually sight-unseen and based solely on your description. We've read comments from some Orkin customers that describe lots of upselling and upcharging from one treatment to the next.

Free initial quote online

The good news is that you can get a preliminary quote right from the Orkin website; most of their rivals make you enter your information and wait for a representative to call before giving you those details. (Helpful hint: you can enter an address near you and fake contact info if you aren't quite ready to talk to an Orkin rep just yet.) You'll enter details about the size of the residence or office, the pests you want to target and when you're seeing them (if they're visible during the day, they're probably multiplying. Ew).

Price dependent on location and property

Your pricing will vary based on your details - how many rooms to be treated, how many types of pests you're trying to get rid of, and your part of the country - but as a ballpark, a five-bedroom home in Central Florida with a cockroach problem was quoted at $49.50/month for an annual contract, protecting against 13 common household pests. That included sealing gaps and cracks, detailed reporting, and treatment every 60 days or "as needed to disrupt their life cycle" . Most experts recommend several consecutive months of treatment to interrupt the cockroach life cycle, so we're not sure why Orkin thinks every two months is the best starting plan. Also, that month-to-month plan didn't include the $198.50 quoted for the initial inspection. Orkin also offered a one-off treatment just for cockroaches, priced at $287.

BBB listing is a mystery

Orkin's listing with the Better Business Bureau was a little confusing. They're fully accredited, which almost always comes with a rating of "A-" or better. But, at the time of this review, the BBB only listed Orkin as "NA" , leaving us wondering if a grade is pending or if there's some other issue. Given that there were zero complaints filed on the headquarters' listing - and how unlikely that is for a company that's been in business for more than 120 years - we don't think it gives much insight into Orkin's reputation as a whole.

Your results may vary

When we looked into feedback for Orkin recorded in other places, we found that customer satisfaction is extremely dependent on the local branch and even more so on the individual technicians assigned to your property. Some clients describe their Orkin technicians as being thorough and knowledgeable, while others describe lackluster efforts leading to no change in their pest problem.

Not impressed by the "guarantee"

That's a big part of why we're not impressed with the "Orkin Guarantee" : 60 days of free service if you're not happy with their work. If you're unsatisfied with the job they've been doing, why would you want them to do it for another two months? Yes, like any other pest control service, they'll come back between scheduled treatments if you're still seeing bugs or other pests, but the best exterminators make that almost unnecessary. They also promise a 30-day money-back guarantee; given that it can take several months to eliminate an infestation and prevent it from recurring, that's not much help either.

Good enough but not excellent

If Orkin is the only pest control option where you live, it isn't the worst service to use. There's a reason it's been around for over 100 years, and chances are if you have issues and complain loudly enough, someone will eventually make it right. However, there are other pest control companies that do a better job from start to finish; we recommend you check out the higher-ranked exterminators in our review to see what other possibilities exist in your area.

Moxie Pest Control

• 18-state service area includes parts of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Minnesota, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland
• Treatments available to target ants, cockroaches, ticks, spiders, beetles, centipedes and millipedes, earwigs, crickets, fleas, stinging insects, pill bugs, scorpions, silverfish, ticks, mice and rats
• Some locations have add-on treatments for bed bugs, rodent exclusion, gophers, moles and voles

Moxie Pest Control opened in 2001 and services areas in California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Minnesota, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Much of the company's growth has been due to former employees being encouraged to open up Moxie branches in their own hometowns; you may have even seen Moxie reps going door-to-door in your neighborhood.

Basic extermination plus add-ons

There's nothing terribly noteworthy about Moxie's approach to pests. Their basic General Pest Package covers the "more common invaders" you might be seeing on your property: ants, cockroaches, ticks, spiders, beetles, centipedes and millipedes, earwigs, crickets, fleas, stinging insects, pill bugs, scorpions, silverfish, ticks, mice and rats. If you're dealing with gophers, voles, moles, bed bugs or want rodent exclusion measures in place (not just removing the ones you already have), those are available as add-ons to your package if your particular Moxie branch offers them.

Why so mysterious?

Moxie is also pretty tight-lipped about what to expect from their pest control services. Will you sign an annual contract? What kinds of pesticides do they use? Will you pay for the inspection that typically comes as part of your first treatment? Those are all questions you'll have to ask when you get a quote from your local Moxie office: you can sign up to get a quote on the main website and wait for a call back, or you can choose the branch nearest you in the dropdown list and reach out directly.

Watch out for the terms and conditions

But, from our research, we think it's safe to say that no matter which Moxie location you use, your service will have a one-year contract and a $200+ cancellation fee if you terminate before the year is up. Be sure to read all of the terms and conditions before you sign a contract; we found a couple of customer comments that said they were promised one thing in their conversation with a Moxie sales rep, only to get another thing completely in their contract.

Less-than-perfect BBB rating

Moxie Pest Control has an overall "B" rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. The BBB says the company earned that rating due to the 130+ complaints filed against their headquarters in the three years prior to this review. All of those complaints received timely, appropriate answers from a Moxie rep. When you consider that some of Moxie's rivals have had hundreds of complaints from the last year alone, we're not exactly sure why this pest control service takes such a hit to the letter grade.

Experience depends on your local branch

Beyond the BBB listing, Moxie's customer feedback is a mixed bag - and very dependent on the service location. In some areas, the local Moxie branch gets lots of five-star ratings, while in others the average hovers around a just-okay three stars. If you're thinking about using Moxie Pest Control for your extermination needs, we suggest you look into the reputation of the specific office that will be servicing your address.

Some room for improvement

Should you use Moxie to get rid of your pest problem? Maybe. You've got nothing to lose by using their website to request a quote, but make absolutely sure to read the contract before making the commitment. In the future, we'd like to see this pest control company offer more specifics about their services, to make them more competitive with the higher-ranked exterminators in our review.

Presto X

• 11-state service region covering areas in Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Illinois, and Texas; may not be available to residential customers in all of those states
• Pestfree365 covers the 36 most common household pests; residential service also includes bed bug elimination if desired
• Three annual scheduled services plus any needed service calls in between
• "Green Pro" credentials means that pesticides are only used when necessary

Presto-X was founded in Nebraska in 1932 and is now one of two pest control services in our review owned by parent company Rentokil. This particular brand covers the Midwest region, working with customers in Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Illinois, and Texas. However, with respect to residential treatments, that may be limited to just the areas of Houston, St. Louis, Omaha and Lincoln (NE).

Lame website

We'll be honest: you're not going to be impressed with the Presto-X website. It feels very outdated and might leave you wondering if the company is even in business. (It is.) You can use it to find the location nearest you or to request an inspection, but not much more. You'll also get the impression that Presto-X is much more focused on commercial customers; the majority of the details featured on the site are about managing pest problems in the workplace, not the home.

Broad coverage in basic package

However, when you sign up for Presto-X's residential treatment plan, called "pestfree365" , it includes protection from the 36 most common "household invaders" . Unlike some companies, this exterminator includes bed bug treatment within their main service plan and not as a costly add-on. You should be aware that your Presto-X plan will come with the initial service and three scheduled maintenance visits; but, like most pest control companies, they'll give you unlimited service calls between those appointments if you're still seeing live pests.

Reputation details are hard to come by

How about reputation? The company's relationship with Rentokil muddies the waters somewhat: finding a listing with the Better Business Bureau, for instance, is challenging when trying to figure out which of the many truly represents Presto-X. We didn't find anything troublesome in that regard, at least. But, compared with this company's rivals in the Midwest, there's just not enough customer feedback on hand to let us know if they're worth the effort.

Better options for most residential customers

Presto-X seems decent: you've got the backing of a bigger name in the industry, the company itself had a long history prior to its acquisition, and we didn't see any red flags with respect to its reputation. But, with such a limited service area for residential customers and very little details offered about the specifics of their pest control (contracts, guarantees, products used, and so on), we just can't recommend Presto-X over their more visible, transparent competitors.

Terminix

• In business for more than 90 years
• 300 locations nationwide
• 24/7 customer support
• Pest control includes bed bugs, termites, ticks, rodents, spiders, cockroaches, ants, wildlife, mosquitoes, moths, silverfish, scorpions, crickets, ants, centipedes and millipedes
• Prevention services include attic insulation, moisture control, gutter protection, and crawl space services
• Free initial inspection for termite, rodent and wildlife services only
• Monthly or quarterly billing

Terminix is another big name in pest control, with a history spanning nearly a century. With 300 locations and over 50,000 homes serviced each day, you've likely got a Terminix office near you.

Annual contract or one-off service

Terminix sets up your pest control on a quarterly treatment plan, once you've set up your annual contract (though you can pay either every three months or monthly, if you prefer to break down your payments into smaller, more regular amounts). Alternatively, you can set up a one-time inspection and treatment; be aware that, for most pests, a single service won't be enough to fully eliminate the problem, and you'll be right back where you started.

Easy to get quote online

You can see your pricing by entering the property address; for a location in Central Florida, we were quoted $109/quarter or $36.33/month. When we added that plan to our cart, we found that the first treatment would actually be $159; there was no explanation, but we concluded that the extra $50 was for the initial inspection service.

Schedule an appointment right away

We like that the Terminix website lets you schedule your first appointment right on their website. In the area we tested, we were able to get on the schedule within a few days, and there was plenty of availability in two-hour time windows between 8AM and 5PM - including Saturday.

Mediocre "guarantee"

We're not impressed by the Terminix "Nix Guarantee" . All it promises is that you'll get free return visits if you see pests between scheduled treatments. Big deal: pretty much every exterminator offers that. If you don't like your Terminix technician or the overall service, too bad for you because you're not getting a refund.

BBB rating not bad...

Terminix doesn't have the best reputation in the business. Despite being in operation for about a century, the company isn't accredited by the Better Business Bureau and only has a "B+" rating. While that's a fairly good rating, digging deeper unveiled a surprising number of dissatisfied customers. In fact, there were over 1,300 complaints filed with the BBB in the year leading up to this evaluation.

...but customer reviews aren't good

Even outside of the BBB listing, we found that nearly 90% of Terminix reviews gave the company the lowest possible rating: words frequently used in customer comments included "scam" , "unreliable" , "dishonest" and "terrible" . While some clients say that their particular technicians are great, almost everyone says that the administrative end is a nightmare: scheduling is haphazard, reps at the toll-free number pass the buck when people call with problems, and so on.

Use a different pest control company

Unless Terminix is literally the only pest control option where you live, there's just no good reason to choose them for your service. Across the country, people are disappointed with the service they receive, leaving them with the same pest infestations they started with. Terminix winds up at the bottom of our rankings.