How Much Does Hiring a Flea Exterminator Cost?
Typical Range:
$75 - $400
Cost data is based on research by HomeAdvisor.
Updated September 26, 2022
Written by HomeAdvisor.The average flea exterminator cost of $300, or between $75 and $400, includes a visit, inspection, treatment, and sometimes one follow-up visit. However, your final flea exterminator price depends on the location and house size. Additional visits may double the price but are sometimes necessary.
Fleas are bugs that invade your home, coming into your space on your pet or clothing. One female can turn into 1,000 over the course of 21 days, so it's important to attack the problem quickly. In addition to their irritating bites, fleas carry tapeworm eggs that can infect your pets or children. Scratching the bites can lead to infection and scarring.
While you can purchase products over the counter that claim to kill fleas, a professional can handle the problem more quickly, eradicating adult fleas, larvae, and eggs. The cost of professional flea extermination may be worth it once you factor in the time saved and the cost of less effective, over-the-counter flea control products.
Average Cost to Exterminate Fleas
| Average Cost | High Cost | Low Cost |
|---|---|---|
| $300 | $400 | $75 |
Signs of a Flea Infestation
Although an exterminator can best tell you if you have an infestation, there are some common signs to watch for:
Your pets will likely show symptoms first by scratching, wiggling, or chewing at their skin.
Though fleas can bite anywhere, you'll see signs of tiny red bites on you and your family—usually on the ankles and legs. Typically, fleas that bite pets won't live on a human, but the fleas may bite you.
With extensive infestations, you'll see tiny dark spots—called "flea dirt”—in your carpet and pet's fur. These are actually flea feces.
Flea Exterminator Cost Factors
How much does flea extermination cost? You'll pay around $150 to $400 for an inspection and single treatment, but a second visit is often necessary to kill newly hatched fleas. Plan to spend about $75 to $200 for additional treatment.
You may pay more depending on:
Geographic location: You’ll pay more in areas with higher overhead costs.
Size of your home: Larger homes cost more.
Spring and summer seasons: Exterminators are busier when insects thrive in warm, humid summers.
Added services: Services like vacuuming or exterior spraying may drive up prices. You may be asked to vacuum thoroughly if your pro doesn’t offer this service.
One-Time Flea Treatment vs. Follow-Up Visits
The first flea extermination visit costs $200 to $400 on average. Flea treatments may be effective after only one visit but usually require a follow-up, which costs $75 to $200 on average. One-time applications usually don't completely kill large infestations. However, you can do a lot of the cleanup and preventive work to avoid a second visit.
First Visit
A local pest control pro will perform a few tasks, including the following:
Inspection: The pro will confirm that fleas are present and scout for the areas where they're living. This may include areas where your pets frequent, as well as crawl spaces or your attic, to see if you may have had other wild animals present.
Vacuuming: If vacuuming is included, it'll be done before spraying.
Interior application: The exterminator will apply an in-house topical product with two types of active ingredients: an adulticide to kill adults and an insect growth regulator to prevent developing fleas from becoming adults.
Exterior application: If you're paying for exterior spray, they will apply it near entrances to your home and pet areas.
Second Visit
The second application follows the same procedures as the first. Since no pesticide kills eggs and often not larvae, you’ll need to kill these pests after they mature. This generally happens 10 to 14 days after the first visit. After that, you should have a clean home, although a third and final visit may be necessary.
Some extermination companies offer a guarantee they can remove all the stages—eggs, pupae, and adults—in one treatment and will return for free if you see more pests within 30 days.
In-House vs. Exterior Yard Flea Removal
You can treat your yard with an over-the-counter pesticide spray delivered through an attachment to your garden hose at about $9 to $30 per bottle. Some exterminators will treat your yard but don't include this cost in their programs.
While adults without a host will die of starvation within a week, pre-adult fleas still in their cocoons can lie dormant for up to 155 days, or about five months. That means that larvae could be ready to hatch in your yard and then migrate into your home, weeks after you've treated your premises.
Treatment Method
There are no pesticides that completely kill fleas since the egg and larvae stages are tough to combat with chemicals. The standard treatment for fleas includes all the following:
Pet Treatment
The current standard is oral chewable tablets and spot treatment with liquid gels for the fur. Clean all of your pets' bedding and places they sleep, something you'll want to do yourself or have your vet do. Consult your vet and read labels before using anything on your pets.
Premise Treatment
These include vacuuming and washing the entire home, plus applying flea insecticides. They only kill the adults and interfere with larvae development. They don't kill the eggs, so a follow-up treatment is almost always necessary. If you have questions about the products included in your flea control program, your exterminator can provide product labels or material safety data sheets.
Wildlife and Pest Inspection
Although you might have pets, fleas travel on things like bats, rats, and other small animals. Have your place inspected for these as well. Pest control costs around $100–$300 in addition to the flea extermination if other pests are present.
Extent of Flea Infestation
The extent of the flea infestation dictates how much flea treatment you'll need in your home. But it doesn't usually change the price. Flea control experts charge on a project-by-project basis and will give you a clear understanding of the costs.
Consult a Pro to Remove a Flea Infestation
Flea Exterminator Costs by Brand
There isn't much difference between brands, services, or prices due to the competitive nature of the business. Mostly, it comes down to knowledge and customer service. Terminix and Orkin are the main players in this area, but several smaller regional brands have competitive pricing. You'll pay between $150 and $500, no matter your choice.
Orkin Flea Treatment
Orkin professionals will do a one-time spray for flea control for about $200 to $400. They’ll offer follow-up services and regular visits with individual pricing for homeowners. Their service includes:
Inspection
Interior spray
Limited exterior spray
Detailed recommendations on how to prevent reinfestation
Orkin prides itself on its long history of pest control dating back to 1901 and extensive training for each pest control specialist. The company also offers a limited 30-day guarantee that the fleas won't return and a money-back policy if you aren't satisfied with their service.
Terminix Flea Treatment
Terminix charges about $190 for an initial visit when you agree to additional quarterly visits for follow-up treatment at around $99 each. The company has a money-back guarantee. During the first 30 days, they offer free re-service.
To eradicate fleas, you may not need continued quarterly treatments. The company requires you to call and provide your address and your home's square footage to give you a quote for a one-time visit.
DIY vs. Professional Flea Pest Control
It could be more cost-effective, safer, and timely to hire a local flea exterminator rather than do the work yourself. Although the initial cost seems higher, you won't have to continually deal with a flea infestation and ongoing expenses for pet treatments.
Consider the following issues:
Effectiveness: Products available over the counter may not be as effective as professional chemicals and applications.
Cost: Products sold to homeowners treat only small areas and can be expensive to purchase in quantity for whole-home treatments.
Health: Misused products could pose a risk to your family.
Training: You may not identify areas of highest infestation or may skip the subfloors, basement, or attic.
Time: Doing it yourself usually takes more time.
Flea Bomb Prices
Flea foggers, sometimes called bombs, cost between $10 and $15 for a package with enough product to treat a smaller home. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, flea fumigation doesn’t work. They simply don’t penetrate the places where fleas live. Professionals don’t offer this service, and be wary of any off-the-shelf fumigation or “bug bomb” products. These products use aerosol to disperse insecticides throughout your home.
Instead of foggers, hire a professional or use professional products instead.
Inexpensive Flea Extermination Sprays or Insecticides
Inexpensive over-the-counter flea sprays cost between $5 and $15 for a bottle and require a lot of product to treat your entire home. These sprays are better used for small areas only or even as a preventive measure around pet areas and entrances to your home. If you use these, expect multiple applications.
Natural Options
Diatomaceous earth, which damages and dries out adult fleas and flea cocoons, is a popular natural product. Products billed as natural pest control can cost anywhere from $5 to $50. Most of these products aren’t effective, incorporating essential oils like peppermint or clove to drive fleas away. There’s little evidence they work.
Some people have had success with borax powder or baking soda sprinkled around the home and vacuumed up. However, vacuuming alone is highly effective at controlling flea populations. Any of these options are likely to work only with a minimal amount of fleas, and you’ll have to use them for weeks to see progress.
Preventing Flea Infestations
Preventing flea infestations is much easier than killing the pests once they’ve entered your home. Here's what you need to know about the costs of flea prevention:
Pet vet visit: $100–$200; healthier pets don't attract as many fleas, plus your vet can prescribe oral or topical flea treatment that’s more effective than over-the-counter drops or collars.
Pet treatment: $15–$25 per month per pet, plusabout $10 fleashampoo for your dogs. Keeping fleas off your pets is the key to keeping them out of your home.
Vacuuming: $3–$5 for a carpet flea prevention treatment. Regular vacuuming removes occasional adults and their eggs.
Carpet shampooing cost: $150–$250, deep cleaning carpets once or twice a year can remove any fleas and eggs you don't see.
Lawn pesticide spray: $9–$30 per bottle; use at the beginning of spring to remove fleas from your yard, then repeat every 90 days.
Hire a Flea Exterminator
FAQs
Can an exterminator service get rid of fleas in my home?
A professional exterminator is the quickest and most effective way to get fleas out of your home. With the training and access to professional-grade products, exterminators can identify areas where fleas are hiding and laying their eggs. Most extermination companies offer a money-back guarantee if you aren't satisfied with their service, and they'll come back if you spot more bugs within 30 days.
Does the type of flea impact the treatment method and cost?
There are more than 200 different types of fleas in the U.S. Fortunately, they all go through a similar life cycle and can be killed with the same pesticides.
Common fleas include cat, dog, and rat fleas. Each type prefers its namesake host but will take a meal from any warm-blooded mammal. Your professional extermination cost will cover treatment for any kind of flea that may be in your home.
What is the reproductive rate of fleas?
An adult female will lay about one to two eggs per hour, up to about 50 eggs per day. Eggs can be extremely tough to kill and take up to two weeks to hatch. That's why flea treatment is sometimes repeated after 14 days.
How can I prepare for a flea extermination service?
Your flea control expert can help you prepare for a treatment, but you'll want to ensure that all food items, dishes, toothbrushes, and other items you put in your mouth are removed from the house or stored in a closed cabinet.
It may help to vacuum prior to treatment, as its vibrations can encourage pupae to emerge. If you have a special case, such as an aquarium you can't easily move, seal it and turn off the air pump. Your exterminator can review other options and directions with you.
How long will fleas last in an empty house?
An adult flea starves in about four days but can live over a week. After that, cocoons can last several weeks before an adult flea emerges. The best way to ensure a home is clean is to hire a professional house cleaner near you. If you’re unsure of fleas in a new house, hire a professional flea exterminator before moving in.
