Sandra LawsMy friend loves furry friends and takes care of a bunch of cats. The line of her being animal-friendly, though, is when she discovered that she had a rat problem at home.
Naturally, her pets were on high alert. And while she set up DIY traps, they didn’t do much to drive away the rodents, who were a lot smarter than expected.
She even called a maid agency for a thorough 5-hour cleaning. Still, the rats kept going back. Apparently, the issue was deeper than just food remains or surface dirt.
To help her out, I suggested she schedule a professional inspection with a pest control service in San Diego. Together, we gathered the most reputable and reliable options. So if you also want to get rid of vermin in your space, here are our top picks.
How much do pest control services cost in San Diego?
Pest control services in San Diego typically cost between $150 and $550 for a one-time treatment. The final amount depends on the location, pest type, infestation severity, and property size and layout.
1. Joshua’s Pest Control
Address: 6867 Nancy Ridge Dr, Suite E
Contact Details:
- +1 858 547 9900
- [email protected]
Business Hours:
- Mon-Sat: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
- Sun: Closed
With their family-owned operation and community focus, Joshua’s Pest Control emphasizes pet- and family-friendly treatments. We like that this includes organic options, which many competitors skip.
Founded in 2006 by Jason and Kristen Walton, this company was actually named after their son. They also bring over 30 years of industry experience to the company.
Their team is strong in residential and commercial general pest control. It’s handy for us that they offer free quotes and first-month discounts too.
But as for their rates, they are slightly above average. A standard service can go from $60 to $170 per visit after an initial fee. You can expect thorough inspections and comprehensive inclusions with them, though.
Another thing we are a bit disappointed about is the firm’s high employee turnover. For a former client we talked to, this might have led to the rushed service at her home.
Thorough termite inspection and patient maneuvering
“Between Blake’s termite inspection and Kyron’s patient maneuvering through crawl spaces, I’m pleased with Joshua’s Pest Contol’s service for treatment of subterranean termites. Both Kyron and Blake answered my questions and educated me on the treatment and what to expect. Kyron was very respectful of our space, and made sure that no dirt, mud, or treatment product entered our living space. He was very thorough.”
-Anna Gosselin, Google Review
Very professional and concerned company
“Very professional and concerned company. In particular their representative Daniel Hartley was a pleasure to work with and took the time to explain the entire protocol Daniel was the tech for my service of March 2026 and he was excellent”
-Rick Kovelant, Google Review
2. Thrasher Pest Control
Address: 8957 Complex Dr, Kearny Mesa Complex
Contact Details:
- +1 619 407 9078
- [email protected]
Business Hours:
- Mon-Fri: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
- Sat-Sun: Closed
Thrasher Pest Control offers reliable, family-owned pest control services for San Diego homes and businesses. Established in 2009 by the Thrasher family, they are highly skilled in rodent and termite control.
We also find it incredible that they are GreenPro certified, following strict standards in being environmentally friendly. Basically, they use the least toxic products first and integrated pest management (IPM) techniques.
Other than that, we think it’s helpful that they have bilingual staff (English and Spanish) to cater to more clients.
Their fees are also quite reasonable, as they match typical San Diego standards. This can go from $141 to $299 for one-time calls and $93 to $289 for quarterly services—this is for 1,600 to 2,000 sq ft homes.
Still, a few clients needed to make extra follow-ups on some tough infestations. Someone we interviewed mentioned experiencing delays because of this. So, beyond responsiveness, we feel the team should work on their proactiveness too.
Punctual, professional, and thorough
“We’ve had a really good experience with our pest control technician Sebastian. He’s always punctual and professional.. He’s thorough during each visit and makes sure to check all the areas that might be prone to pest activity. What we appreciate most is that he’s respectful of our property and keeps things neat while he works. If we ever have questions or concerns, he’s patient and happy to help. Since starting service, we’ve definitely noticed a big improvement. Overall, we’re very satisfied with the service and would gladly recommend him to others looking for reliable pest control.”
-Rajeshwari K A R, Google Review
Always professional and effective
“One year later and Thrasher continues to be the best! We are very appreciative of the quality and professionalism. Mark is outstanding! Mark from Thrasher is fantastic! He performs our regular maintenance spray around the property and is always professional and effective. Mark continues to be on-time and is always a pleasure to work with. Thank you, Mark & Thrasher!”
-Margaret Bernier, Google Review
3. HomeShield Pest Control
Address: 9434 Chesapeake Dr #1208, PH Flooring
Contact Details:
- +1 858 376 3713
- +1 954 233 3810 (Free Quote)
Business Hours:
- Mon-Fri: 7:00 am to 7:00 pm
- Sat: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Sun: Closed
HomeShield Pest Control delivers eco-friendly pest solutions across San Diego with a focus on family and pets.
This company was started in 2009 by Ian Morgan from his parents’ garage. He gained hands-on experience as a sales representative at Moxie Pest Services in 2007, where he sold door-to-door treatments for ants and snails.
Now, this company is over 16 years strong with 30 employees and $6M revenue. The crew serves over 200 communities across California without pushing clients to sign up for aggressive contracts.
In addition, we appreciate how thorough the team is. They go through 5 key inspection points, involving a comprehensive interior and exterior home scan. This helps treat the whole property holistically and prevent errors.
We like that they take $150 off for the initial service too. And while full ranges aren’t listed publicly, people we had a chat with mentioned their rates being within San Diego norms. You can also get free virtual quotes via their form or by phone.
But one thing we believe they should improve on is upgrading their tools. For example, they don’t use advanced tech like thermal imaging for termites, which other rivals offer.
Extra communicative and incredibly respectful
“Another service, another 5 star rating! As always, Jorge is extra communicative and incredibly respectful! This is the best exterminator service in San Diego I’m convinced.”
-Amanda Gianninoto, Google Review
Arrived within an hour of our call
“Julio arrived within an hour of our call to treat an ant invasion in our kitchen. It’s all clear now, and he will check in with us in a few days to insure that the ants stay out!”
-Roy Lott, Google Review
4. Lloyd Pest Control
Address: 935 Sherman St
Contact Details:
- +1 619 298 9865
Business Hours:
- Mon-Fri: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Sat: 8:00 am to 12:00 pm
- Sun: Closed
Lloyd Pest Control has brought nearly a century of family-run expertise to San Diego’s pest problems since 1931. They focus on reliable, tech-driven solutions with a massive local fleet that covers Southern California fast.
They were bought by Al Ogle in 1937 for $125. Now, they are a $63M powerhouse with almost 300 employees and 250 smartphone-dispatched trucks. We think many competitors will find it hard to match this.
Additionally, it’s useful for us that the staff offers a 24/7 customer portal. With this, you can track service history, schedule visits, and message technicians anytime via app or web.
Their costs fit San Diego standards, from $118 to $1,297 per visit—depending on the pest and property type. The way we see it, their volume efficiencies come from their large scale, potentially lowering their prices.
But for major jobs like termite tenting, this company often uses subcontractors. This has led to complaints about workers arriving without a clear company identification. To avoid any problems, it’s best to bring this up in your consultations from the get-go.
They are reasonable and prompt during the service
“We are very satisfied with Lloyd’s pest control! They manage all the insects issues in and around our home! My neighbors tell me they get ants a lot indoors, but I never have that problem! It is reasonable and they are available and prompt during the service! They have been around San Diego for decades and not a pop up pest control service!”
-Tammy Wehr, Google Review
Reliable, professional, and highly recommended
“Reasonable pricing and flexible scheduling. I always receive a call or email in advance to confirm the service, which I really appreciate. Reliable, professional. Highly recommend for pest control needs.”
-Erika Dominguez, Google Review
5. Mission Pest Control
Address: 9863 Pacific Heights Blvd B, Sorrento Mesa Business Center
Contact Details:
- +1 858 345 9990
- [email protected]
Business Hours:
- Mon-Fri: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Sat: 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
- Sun: Closed
Mission Pest Control provides local, family-friendly pest solutions tailored to San Diego homes. With over 12 years of their collective Southern California experience, we appreciate that they stress safe and custom treatments over mass-market approaches.
Their crew specializes in adjusting treatments based on local conditions, especially for pests like spiders and cockroaches. We also have to hand it to their team for getting daily training, which we think sets them apart from less hands-on rivals.
One client we spoke with raved about their on-time arrival as well. And if something came up, we like that you can easily reschedule a service through their website.
As a mid-sized local, their quotes match the average San Diego range. Their quarterly maintenance and general pest treatment both start at around $100. This already covers full evaluations, safe products, and even repeat visits if pests linger.
One thing to note, though, is that the company is smaller than others. Its limited fleet of trucks can sometimes slow down urgent response times.
Friendly, communicative, and very thorough
“John was outstanding in his pest service. He was friendly and communicative. He listened to our issue, gave another bait box, took photos to document and sent them to me. Very thorough.”
-Juliane Rosen, Google Review
Very detail-oriented and had the job done in no time
“Andrew was great! Introduced himself and quickly got to work. He was very detail oriented, and had the job done in no time.”
-Tim Rupe, Google Review
