Emergency exterminator: $100 to $200 extra, do this first

National figures. The emergency surcharge is published for rodent work; for other pests, ask the company what it adds for an after-hours call.

Do this now: the four urgent cases, first steps

1. Bat in a room where someone slept: the CDC says you may have been exposed to rabies even if you felt no bite, because bat bites can be very small. Call your doctor or local health department now. If you can do it safely, close the room and capture the bat, because the health department can have it tested, and a negative test means no rabies shots.
2. Wasp or hornet nest at a door, porch or play area: stop using that entrance. Kentucky's extension says not to seal a nest entry behind siding (the wasps may chew inward and come out indoors), that hornet and yellowjacket nests are best left to a professional firm when out of reach, and that nests are treated at night.
3. Someone stung with hives, trouble breathing or swallowing, facial or throat swelling, dizziness or a racing pulse: Kentucky's extension says not to wait to see if it passes; use an epinephrine auto-injector if prescribed and still go to an emergency room.
4. Rodents in the attic or walls: UC IPM says rats gnaw electrical wires and natural gas lines, and roof rats in attics can cause sparks and fires. If you smell gas, leave and call the gas utility from outside. Do not sweep droppings (CDC).
5. Bed bugs with a move days away: the EPA says nothing leaves the infested room unless dried on high heat for 30 minutes or sealed in plastic, and not to carry items into clean rooms.

What counts as a pest emergency, and what does not

Four situations are urgent in the sources' own terms, and none of them is a termite: a bat in a bedroom (CDC: possible rabies exposure), a stinging-insect nest where people pass (Kentucky's extension), rodents chewing wiring or gas lines (UC IPM), and bed bugs before a move (EPA's rules on moving belongings). Rodent after-hours visits cost $100 to $200 extra in HomeGuide's figures.

• Not an emergency: termite swarmers. UC IPM says a new colony may have only about 75 individuals after a year; see signs of termites.
• Not an emergency: a few ants, a spider, a single large roach from outside, or a mouse in a trap. These can wait for a second bid at a normal rate.
• Urgent but not after-hours: German cockroaches in a kitchen (UC IPM: 30,000 roaches a year from one female) and mice in a wall. Book the first available regular visit; see cockroach exterminator cost and mouse exterminator cost.
• Wildlife (raccoon, squirrel, skunk) in a living space is handled by wildlife control; HomeGuide prices attic or chimney removal at $200 to $600 and up to $1,500.

How much does an emergency exterminator cost?

An emergency exterminator visit adds $100 to $200 to the bill for after-hours, weekend or holiday rodent work in HomeGuide's 2026 figures, on top of a one-time visit that HomeGuide puts at $100 to $600 and Fixr at $158 to $288. The pest sets the rest: wasps and hornets $300 to $700 and yellowjackets $600 to $1,200 (HomeGuide), bats $200 to $600 (HomeGuide) or $230 to $700 (This Old House), rats $150 to $600 and mice $150 to $550 (HomeGuide), one room of bed bugs $300 to $500 (HomeGuide). Companies that take urgent calls set their own hours and surcharges, so ask the fee before anyone is sent. We publish costs and what the sources say the signs mean; we do not inspect homes or say whether a home needs treatment. A pest control company licensed in your state does that on site.

What to expect from pest control on the first visit

A first visit is an inspection and a plan, not always the treatment: the EPA says the company should inspect the property, then outline the pests found, how far they have spread, the products and active ingredients, possible health effects, application methods, nonchemical alternatives, precautions for your household and prevention. HomeGuide puts a pest inspection at $50 to $200. For the urgent cases, what a company would do on that visit:

• Nest: locate it, treat at night if it is a hornet or yellowjacket nest (Kentucky's extension), and tell you when the entrance is safe to use again. Kentucky's extension notes colonies die off in winter and nests are not reused.
• Bat: remove it, and if nothing explains how it got in, the CDC says a bat remediation specialist may check whether bats are living in the home. The health department handles testing and the rabies decision, not the pest company.
• Rodents in the attic: find the entry points (CDC's list: roof rafters, gables, eaves, soffits, vents, utility openings), set traps or stations, and quote sealing and cleanup. Chewed wiring goes to an electrician.
• Bed bugs: confirm the species (EPA: carpet beetles are often mistaken for bed bugs), price heat or chemical per room, and give you the prep list. See bed bug treatment cost.

What to do before pest control arrives

• Keep people and pets out of the room with the nest, bat or droppings.
• Photograph what you saw; bag a dead insect if you can without being stung.
• List who is in the house: infants, elderly residents, pets, allergies. The EPA says these go in the contract and shape the product choice.
• Clear access to the attic hatch, crawl space or the wall where the noise is.
• Have your address, whether you own or rent, and what you are seeing ready for the call.

How long after pest control is it safe to go back in?

The product label sets the re-entry time, and the EPA's guide says to ask to see the label and to ask for the least toxic method that will do the job. For whole-house work the sources give durations: 24 to 72 hours out for termite tenting and about 8 hours for a heat treatment (HomeGuide), 24 to 72 hours for rodent fumigation, or 3 to 5 days for larger homes (HomeGuide). For a spot wasp treatment or a baiting visit, the company tells you on site; write it down.

Questions to ask when you call

• When can you come, and what does the after-hours visit add? HomeGuide's rodent figure is $100 to $200.
• Is the first visit an inspection, a treatment or both, and is the inspection fee credited?
• What will you need from me (access, pets out, rooms cleared)?
• License number and proof of insurance (EPA).

Start at the pest control hub or compare the pest control cost table. For a dead animal or a hoarded, fouled space, see biohazard cleanup. City pages: pest control in Houston, pest control in San Antonio, pest control in Dallas, pest control in Austin, pest control in New York, pest control in Atlanta, pest control in Charlotte, pest control in Denver. Calls go to an independent pest control company that serves your area and takes this kind of job; hours vary and the company quotes its own inspection or first-visit fee. How calls work.