Voting has closed! Readers' Choice Awards Best Pest Control Companies of 2026

You never think about having to call a pest control company until you have to... and then? You probably don't know who to call. All you know is that you want those ants in the pantry, wasps under the porch, or spooky scratching in the attic to go away and stay away for good.

Our panel of experts sought out the top pest control specialists in the nation, then narrowed it down to 15 nominees for the Readers' Choice Awards. If you've had a positive firsthand experience with any of these companies, give them a vote and tell your fellow readers why they deserve the award for Best Pest Control Company.

Voting has closed. We'll announce the winners on October 15.

Nominee #1: Aptive Pest Control

Predictive analytics isn't a phrase you expect to hear in the pest control industry, but Aptive Pest Control is building its entire model around it. Founded in 2015 in Provo, Utah, the company launched its proprietary Aptive Pest Intelligence Center (APIC). This AI-driven platform crunches more than 500 million data points across 76 U.S. markets to forecast pest surges based on weather patterns, seasonality, and technician field observations. The idea is to get ahead of infestations rather than react to them. Aptive covers more than 4,000 cities across 36 states, with treatments customized by property and season using EPA-approved products.

Nominee #2: Arrow Exterminators

More than 60 years of family ownership in an industry dominated by publicly traded conglomerates is a statement in itself. Arrow Exterminators was founded in Atlanta in 1964 by Starkey and Jean Thomas and is now led by the third generation of the Thomas family, operating more than 200 service centers across 16 states. Arrow holds NPMA QualityPro certification, a third-party designation earned by a small percentage of pest control firms nationally, reflecting verified standards in technician training, background checks, environmental accountability, and business operations. With revenue exceeding $475 million, Arrow has the scale of a national brand and the accountability structure of a family business that still puts its name on the door. That combination is rarer than it sounds.

Nominee #3: Critter Control

Most pest control companies focus on insects, but what happens when the invader has fur, feathers, or a ringed tail and opinions about your attic? That's the niche Critter Control has owned since 1983. Now part of the Rollins, Inc. family, the company bills itself as the country's largest wildlife removal and exclusion franchise, with more than 100 locations across the U.S. and Canada handling raccoons, bats, rodents, birds, squirrels, and whatever else has decided your home is also theirs. The key differentiator is an exclusion-first methodology: Technicians don't just trap and remove—they identify the structural vulnerabilities that allowed entry and seal them to prevent a return visit. Critter Control also handles damage repair, attic restoration, and sanitation, making it a true start-to-finish wildlife solution.

Nominee #4: Ehrlich Pest Control

Nearly a century of pest management experience, backed by the global infrastructure of Rentokil Initial—that's what Ehrlich Pest Control brings to residential and commercial accounts across the eastern and Midwestern United States. Founded in 1928 by Julius C. Ehrlich in Reading, Pennsylvania, the company is both QualityPro- and GreenPro-certified through the NPMA. The GreenPro designation is the one worth geeking out about: It requires technicians to pass a rigorous national examination on Integrated Pest Management and commit to protocols that focus on non-chemical strategies—exclusion, sanitation, habitat modification—before reaching for a pesticide. Ehrlich's technicians complete eight structured training units annually and have access to board-certified entomologists for complex cases.

Nominee #5: Fox Pest Control

Going from a 2012 startup in Logan, Utah, to back-to-back Inc. 5000 placements to a full acquisition by Rollins, Inc. in 2023 is a trajectory that gets your attention. Fox Pest Control has since spread well beyond its Utah roots, with locally managed branches across the East, the Midwest, and the West. The company's calling card is a satisfaction guarantee it sums up as "we come back for free," which covers return visits between scheduled treatments if the covered pests reappear. Technicians are licensed and insured, and they deliver custom plans that combine barrier sprays, granular applications, and entry-point exclusion work.

Nominee #6: Hawx Pest Control

The name itself is a mission statement: Honesty, Attitude, Work Ethic, and Excellence. Hawx Pest Control, launched in Ogden, Utah, in 2013, has expanded to 14 states and 24 locations by marketing itself as a tech-enabled, transparency-first alternative to old-school exterminators. Each customer receives a personalized Smart Service Report outlining the treatment approach, and technicians are trained not just to spray but to read pest behavioral trends and change strategies with the seasons. Plans typically start with an in-home inspection followed by targeted treatments with free re-treatments if pests reappear between scheduled visits.

Nominee #7: HomeTeam Pest Defense

This is one of the more inventive approaches in the pest control industry: HomeTeam Pest Defense installs pest management infrastructure directly into homes during construction. The company's proprietary Taexx system—the original Tubes in the Wall—is a network of small tubes running behind designated walls, connected to an external service hub that technicians can treat from outside without the family needing to be present. Established in 1996 and now a wholly owned subsidiary of Rollins, Inc., HomeTeam has partnered with more than 1,000 homebuilders and recently surpassed 2 million Taexx installations nationwide.

Nominee #8: Massey Services

Orlando-based and family-owned, Massey Services ranks seventh on the 2026 PCT Top 100 list of the nation's largest pest management firms and remains one of the largest privately held, family-run operations in the industry. What makes Massey interesting is the breadth of its offering: pest control, termite protection, landscape maintenance, and irrigation management all under one (metaphorical) roof, all grounded in Integrated Pest Management principles that stress targeted treatment and habitat modification over heavy chemical application. A no-nonsense money-back guarantee backs every account, and technicians return quarterly to adjust the strategy for seasonal pest patterns.

Nominee #9: Mosquito Joe

Here's a company that does one thing obsessively well. Mosquito Joe launched in Virginia Beach in 2010 with a singular focus on eliminating mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas from outdoor spaces. Since then, it's grown into what the parent company, Neighborly, calls the largest residential mosquito control operation in the country, with more than 430 territories across 38 states and D.C. As part of the Neighborly family of home service brands, the company applies barrier sprays on a 21-day cycle, offers natural repellent alternatives and misting systems, and requires no long-term contracts. Both the Neighborly Done Right Promise and Mosquito Joe's own satisfaction guarantee cover every job. General pest control companies often treat outdoor biting insects as an add-on; Mosquito Joe treats them as the whole point.

Nominee #10: Moxie Pest Control

Operating across roughly 25 states, Moxie Pest Control has earned its nomination through technician quality. Every field expert is a licensed pesticide applicator, which means state recertification requirements keep them current on evolving methods, products, and safety standards as the company scales. Moxie covers a wide range of common residential pests, from ants and spiders to cockroaches, through customized treatment plans that typically combine exterior barrier applications with targeted interior spots.

Nominee #11: Orkin

There's a reason Orkin is the first name many Americans think of when they hear "pest control," and it goes deeper than brand recognition. Founded in 1901, the company employs degreed entomologists and trains its technicians through the five-stage Orkin Pro Process, designed for targeted, sustained elimination. That scientific backbone shows up most clearly in infestations like termites, bed bugs, and wildlife, where understanding pest biology is the difference between solving the problem and temporarily displacing it. Orkin covers a spectrum of residential pests nationwide, backs its plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and provides complimentary re-treatments between visits if covered pests return.

Nominee #12: Pestmaster Services

Most residential pest control companies built their reputations serving homeowners. Pestmaster Services began serving the government and then brought that same methodical discipline to the consumer market. Founded in 1979 in Bishop, California, and now a franchise network spanning about 25 states and D.C. under the Threshold Brands umbrella, Pestmaster developed its procedures to fulfill stringent institutional security and adherence standards for government and commercial accounts—it landed its first government contract in 1981. Those same standards now carry over to its residential work, giving homeowners access to an Integrated Pest Management approach with a level of documentation and process discipline not always found in consumer-facing firms.

Nominee #13: Plunkett's Pest Control

If you're in the Midwest, chances are someone in your neighborhood has been using Plunkett's Pest Control for a long time. Founded in Minneapolis in 1915 and still family-owned, the company has built a quiet, durable prominence across 22 states through technical consistency, high-frequency IPM auditing, and a steady pattern of acquiring smaller regional operators and folding them into a unified quality standard. Technicians carry out detailed inspections at every visit, document findings, and change strategies based on what they observe over time—an iterative approach that catches emerging problems before they become full-blown infestations.

Nominee #14: Terminix

One of two names that have defined national pest control for decades, Terminix traces its roots to 1927 and now operates as part of Rentokil Initial, which completed its acquisition in October 2022. The company's flagship Terminix It Guarantee is a pleasantly straightforward commitment: If covered pests show up between scheduled treatments, Terminix returns for a complimentary re-treatment. Year-round whole-home protection plans—PestFree365 and PestFree365+—cover a broad roster of common pests through recurring visits, and the company also maintains serious infrastructure for termite defense, including baiting systems and liquid barrier treatments.

Nominee #15: Truly Nolen

You might recognize Truly Nolen before you even know what it does. The company's fleet of bright yellow Mouse Cars, rolling around since 1961, is one of the more delightful sights in American advertising. But behind the automotive flair sits a family-owned pest, termite, and rodent control operation with roots dating back to 1938, now operating across 15 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada, with more than 80 branch offices and additional franchises in more than 60 countries. The substance behind the style is a science-backed Four Seasons approach that tailors treatments to seasonal pest behavior patterns instead of applying a one-size-fits-all protocol year-round. Truly Nolen also adopted environmentally responsible methods well before "going green" became an industry talking point.

Our Experts

Susan Lanier-Graham

With decades of professional writing and consumer research experience, Susan Lanier-Graham covers topics ranging from lifestyle and travel to architecture and home services. Multiple corporate and military relocations have given her firsthand experience finding, evaluating, and hiring service professionals in communities across the country. From appliance repair technicians to pest control providers and other home-service companies, she understands the challenges consumers face when comparing qualifications, reputation, pricing, and reliability. Susan combines careful research with real-world experience to help readers make informed decisions about the professionals they invite into their homes. Follow Susan at Wander With Wonder.

Reviewed Editors & Experts

Reviewed editors and experts have hard-earned insight from a broad range of backgrounds, and our nomination panel includes independent researchers, subject matter experts, and editorial team members. We provide unbiased, experiential editorial coverage on products, brands, and companies across the U.S.