Pests to know in Billings
Termites in Billings
Yellowstone County is on FHA's termite treatment exception list for Montana, so termite treatment documentation is not required there for FHA new-construction financing.[4]
Invasive species reported here
- Japanese beetles, which damage lawns and landscape plants, showed up near the Billings airport and likely arrived aboard air cargo flights.[5]
- State trapping shows a small but steady Japanese beetle population in the Yellowstone County area that has not spread beyond greater Billings, so a long-term quarantine stays in place.[6]
Pests local experts flag
Brown marmorated stink bug, a fall home invader, was confirmed in Billings on January 26, 2021, found alive inside a house near downtown; monitoring focuses on the Billings area.[7]
Climate
Central Billings (ZIP 59101) is in USDA plant hardiness zone 5a, where the average coldest winter night is -20 to -15°F.[12]
Public agencies that handle pests
- Montana health officials say West Nile virus is the only mosquito-borne illness considered established in the state, and Culex tarsalis is its most common mosquito carrier.[1]
- In Montana, hantavirus spreads mainly through deer mice, though the white-footed mouse can also carry it in eastern Montana, where Billings sits.[2]
- Montana treats bats and skunks as high-risk rabies animals, to be regarded as rabid unless testing proves otherwise. Any direct contact with a bat should be evaluated.[3]
Local rules and responsibilities
Yellowstone County enforces a Community Decay Ordinance on complaint, covering visible junk, debris and abandoned buildings; violators generally get at least 30 days to comply.[9]
Hiring a licensed company
- In Montana, anyone applying pesticides for hire, including to structures, needs a commercial applicator license from the state Department of Agriculture, earned through category-specific training and testing.[8]
- Montana's Department of Agriculture does not run mosquito control itself, but it registers mosquito pesticides and repellents and licenses the applicators who do the spraying.[5]
Free local help
MSU says the ticks that carry Lyme disease are not established in Montana. The Rocky Mountain wood tick bites in spring and summer, and the American dog tick occurs in eastern Montana.[11]
Through the year
- Spring to Summer
- Miller moths gather around Billings homes in May and June as they migrate to higher elevations, usually lingering two to three weeks; outbreaks vary year to year.[10]
Sources
- Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, “West Nile Virus.” dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/cdepi/diseases/westnilevirus (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, “Hantavirus Infection and Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS).” dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/cdepi/diseases/hantavirus (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, “Rabies.” dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/cdepi/diseases/rabies (accessed 2026-10-06)
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (FHA Office of Single Family Housing), “Termite Treatment Exception Areas.” www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/SFH/documents/SFH_POLI_TERMITE.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Montana Department of Agriculture, “Programs Dealing with Invasive Pests and Diseases.” agr.mt.gov/Pests (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Montana Department of Agriculture, “Japanese Beetle Quarantine: Frequently Asked Questions.” agr.mt.gov/_docs/pests-docs/caps-pests/FAQ_Japanese_beetle.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Montana State University Extension, “Brown Marmorated Stink Bug.” urbanipm.montana.edu/entomology/resources/fact-sheets/nuisance_insect_pests/brown-marmorated-stink-bug.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Montana Department of Agriculture, “Pesticide License Program.” agr.mt.gov/Pesticide-License-Program (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Yellowstone County, Montana, “Code Enforcement.” www.yellowstonecountymt.gov/PublicWorks/codeenforcement.asp (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Montana State University Extension, “Miller Moths.” urbanipm.montana.edu/entomology/resources/fact-sheets/spiders_of_montana/miller-moths.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Montana State University Extension, “It's Tick Season.” urbanipm.montana.edu/entomology/resources/fact-sheets/its_tick_season.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
- USDA ARS and PRISM, via phzmapi.org, “Plant hardiness zone for ZIP 59101 (2023 USDA map data).” phzmapi.org/59101.json (accessed 2026-10-06)
- National Pesticide Information Center, “State Pesticide Regulatory Agencies.” npic.orst.edu/reg/state_agencies.html (accessed 2026-10-06)