Best Pest Control in Sacramento: How to Choose

Step by step

1. Describe the pest and where you see it, so the company can match the right method.
2. Ask for the company's Structural Pest Control Board registration and the licensee's name, then look both up yourself.
3. Get two or three written quotes (three inspection reports for termites).
4. Check that each quote names the pest, the method, the pesticide and active ingredient, the number of visits and the price.
5. Read recent reviews for patterns, not stars, and ignore bursts of vague five-star posts.
6. Don't sign under pressure; ask for the written pesticide notice before work starts.

Who is the best pest control company in Sacramento?

There isn't an official answer. No California agency rates or ranks pest control companies, and this site doesn't either. What the state does is license them. A company with a clean license record has met minimum qualifications; it isn't proof that the work will be good.

That's why the useful question is how to pick a good one. The checks below cover the license, the paperwork and the red flags.

What license must a Sacramento exterminator hold?

Pest control inside and around homes is regulated by the California Structural Pest Control Board, part of the Department of Consumer Affairs. The Board's household pest brochure says anyone who applies a pesticide to prevent, destroy or repel a pest must be licensed, and that a licensee should carry an ID card showing the license type and expiration date.

There are two layers. The company must be registered, and the people doing the work must hold an individual license: an operator, a field representative or an applicator. Operators and field representatives can bid and contract for a registered company. An applicator can apply pesticides but can't contract on their own. Work falls into three branches: Branch 1 is fumigation, Branch 2 is general household pests, and Branch 3 is wood-destroying pests such as termites.

How do I check a pest control license in California?

Use the Board's license search or the DCA License Search. You can also call the Board's enforcement unit at (800) 737-8188. Check three things: the company registration is current, the person who inspected your home holds an operator or field representative license, and there are no disciplinary actions.

For termite work, the Board also lets you search past inspection reports by property address. A search on your own address shows what earlier companies reported.

Some outdoor work, such as spraying a yard, can fall under the Department of Pesticide Regulation rather than the Board. DPR says structural pest control for hire is licensed by the Board, while other businesses applying pesticides for hire need a DPR pest control business license. Ask which license covers your job.

What should a written quote include?

California law requires a registered company to give the owner and tenant clear written notice before applying pesticides. Under Business and Professions Code §8538, that notice must name the pest to be controlled, the pesticide and its active ingredient, a caution statement about pesticide toxicity and who to contact, and the frequency of treatment if you sign a periodic contract.

After work, the company must leave a notice naming each pesticide applied, and must tell anyone who asks which pesticide was used within 24 hours. Use these as a checklist:

• The pest, the method and the areas to be treated
• Pesticide and active ingredient, or the non-chemical method
• Number of visits and what follow-ups are included
• Total price and when payment is due
• Warranty terms: how long it lasts and what voids it
• The company's name, address, phone and registration number

How do I tell good reviews from fake ones?

Read reviews for detail. A useful review names the pest, what the company did and whether the problem came back. Sort by newest, since a company can change over time.

Fake reviews exist. The Federal Trade Commission's final rule, effective October 21, 2024, bans fake or false reviews and buying reviews for a particular sentiment. In its notice, a firm that detects fake reviews listed signs such as many reviews arriving at once, vague or odd content and unnatural keyword-stuffed language. Treat a burst of near-identical five-star posts with caution.

No review tells you whether a license is valid. Check the license first and use reviews as a second filter.

What are the red flags?

The Structural Pest Control Board's termite brochure says to take your time and to avoid firms that pressure you into signing right away with specials or scare tactics. Termites damage wood slowly, so a few extra days to compare quotes rarely matters. Other warning signs, from UC IPM and the Board:

• No license number, or a license that doesn't match the person at your door
• A quote that doesn't name the pesticide
• A pitch for monthly perimeter sprays for ants; UC IPM says to ask for baits and spot treatments instead
• Spot-treating drywood termites without telling you that hidden infestations elsewhere in the house won't be treated
• Ultrasonic devices sold as a fix; UC IPM says rats get used to them and the FTC has warned sellers about these claims

How is hiring in Sacramento different?

Three local points matter. For mosquitoes, call the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District first, because it inspects homes for free. For yellowjackets, the district may treat nests in the ground, trees or walls, but not nests that have gone into a building's structure. For rats, UC IPM says sealing entry points is the longest-lasting fix, so ask whether the quote includes sealing and not just traps.

If you rent, California Civil Code §1941.1 makes landlords responsible for keeping rentals free of rodents and vermin, so tell your landlord in writing before you hire anyone.

What if the work goes wrong?

Call the company first. If it doesn't fix the problem, the Board says it will try to mediate a complaint and can investigate further. You can file online with the Board. If you feel sick after a treatment, call your doctor or the California Poison Control System at (800) 222-1222, and report suspected misuse to your county agricultural commissioner.

Frequently asked questions

Available across the Sacramento area

• Sacramento
• Elk Grove
• Roseville
• Folsom
• Citrus Heights
• Rancho Cordova
• Rocklin
• Lincoln
• Davis
• West Sacramento
• Woodland
• El Dorado Hills
• Carmichael
• Fair Oaks
• Orangevale
• Arden-Arcade
• Antelope
• North Highlands
• Granite Bay
• Gold River
• Rio Linda
• Galt
• Auburn
• Cameron Park
• Placerville
• Loomis