Pests and pest control in Allentown, PA

Pests to know in Allentown

• Ticks
• Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
• Subterranean termites
• Spotted Lanternfly

Why each one matters here is cited in the sections below.

Termites in Allentown

Penn State Extension says most Pennsylvania termite infestations occur in basements or cellars and the structural timbers just above the cellar walls.^[6]

Invasive species reported here

• The invasive brown marmorated stink bug was first collected in Allentown in September 1998, though Penn State Extension says it probably arrived several years earlier.^[4]
• The spotted lanternfly, an invasive planthopper native to Asia, was first discovered in Pennsylvania in Berks County in 2014.^[9]

Pests local experts flag

The Lehigh County Conservation District says the black-legged (deer) tick is its main tick concern in Lehigh County.^[2]

Climate

Central Allentown (ZIP 18101) is in USDA plant hardiness zone 6b, where the average coldest winter night is -5 to 0°F.^[10]

Public agencies that handle pests

• The Allentown Health Bureau's Environmental Field Services handles home-related issues including bedbugs, working to solve problems or guide residents to resources.^[1]
• Lehigh County has run mosquito surveillance and control with the Pennsylvania DEP since 2000, when West Nile virus was first detected in Pennsylvania.^[2]
• Mosquitoes caught in Lehigh County traps are shipped to the DEP lab in Harrisburg, where they are counted, identified and tested for West Nile virus.^[2]
• Lehigh County's truck-mounted mosquito spraying events happen at dusk, and residents are notified 48 hours before a scheduled event.^[3]

Hiring a licensed company

Pennsylvania pesticide businesses must notify people on the state's Pesticide Hypersensitivity Registry before applications within 500 feet of their home, work or school.^[8]

Licensing agency: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture — Bureau of Plant Industry, Pesticide Programs^[11].

See also how to check a pest control license.

Free local help

Penn State Extension notes that at least 25 tick species occur in Pennsylvania, out of more than 900 worldwide.^[7]

Through the year

Winter to Fall

Brown marmorated stink bug adults start searching for overwintering sites in September through October.^[4]

Spring to Summer

The Pennsylvania Department of Health says tickborne diseases can occur any time of year, but cases increase from April through August.^[5]

Sources

1. City of Allentown Health Bureau, “Environmental Field Services.” www.allentownpa.gov/en-us/Government/Departments/Community-Economic-Development/Health-Bureau/Environmental-Field-Services (accessed 2026-10-06)
2. Lehigh County Conservation District, “Vector Borne Disease Control Program.” lehighconservation.org/vector-borne-disease-control-program/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
3. Lehigh County Conservation District (posted by Lowhill Township), “Lehigh County Vector Borne Disease Control Program (VBDC).” www.lowhilltwp.org/forms/vbdc.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
4. Penn State Extension, “Brown Marmorated Stink Bug.” extension.psu.edu/brown-marmorated-stink-bug (accessed 2026-10-06)
5. Pennsylvania Department of Health, “Department of Health Launches New Dashboard to Help Prevent Tickborne Diseases.” www.pa.gov/agencies/health/newsroom/department-of-health-launches-new-dashboard-to-help-prevent-tick (accessed 2026-10-06)
6. Penn State Extension, “Eastern Subterranean Termites.” extension.psu.edu/eastern-subterranean-termites (accessed 2026-10-06)
7. Penn State Extension, “Common Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases in Pennsylvania.” extension.psu.edu/common-ticks-and-tick-borne-diseases-in-pennsylvania (accessed 2026-10-06)
8. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, “Pesticide Hypersensitivity Registry.” www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/plants-land-water/plant-industry/pesticide-programs/pesticide-hypersensitivity-registry (accessed 2026-10-06)
9. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, “Spotted Lanternfly.” www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/plants-land-water/spotted-lanternfly (accessed 2026-10-06)
10. USDA ARS and PRISM, via phzmapi.org, “Plant hardiness zone for ZIP 18101 (2023 USDA map data).” phzmapi.org/18101.json (accessed 2026-10-06)
11. National Pesticide Information Center, “State Pesticide Regulatory Agencies.” npic.orst.edu/reg/state_agencies.html (accessed 2026-10-06)