Pests to know in Boston
Mosquito · Subterranean termites · Asian Longhorned Beetle · Ticks
Termites in Boston
Massachusetts requires anyone applying liquid termiticides to be certified in category 43 (termite control) or work under the direct supervision of someone who is.[5]
Invasive species reported here
- Asian longhorned beetles were found in six trees at Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain in July 2010, the first confirmed find in Massachusetts outside Worcester County.[6]
- The invasive winter moth, confirmed in Massachusetts in 2003, has defoliated maples, oaks and apples from the North Shore into Boston's western suburbs and across the South Shore.[7]
Climate
Central Boston (ZIP 02108) is in USDA plant hardiness zone 7a, where the average coldest winter night is 0 to 5°F.[10]
Public agencies that handle pests
- Boston's Inspectional Services Department works to prevent rodent infestations through inspections, trapping and baiting in parks, playgrounds and public ways; residents can report via BOS:311.[1]
- The Suffolk County Mosquito Control Project works with the Boston Public Health Commission to place larvicides in Boston catch basins to control Culex mosquitoes.[3]
- The Boston Public Health Commission partners with the Suffolk County Mosquito Control Project, which traps mosquitoes weekly in summer and early fall and tests them for West Nile virus and EEE.[4]
Local rules and responsibilities
- Under Boston ordinance, no building permit is issued for renovation, conversion or new construction until the site is shown to be treated for or free of insects and rodents.[1]
- Boston's bed bug protocol notes that owners of buildings with two or more units must keep premises free of pests, and insect complaints must be inspected within 24 hours.[2]
Hiring a licensed company
In Boston multiunit housing with four or more units, bed bug pesticide applications must be made by a licensed commercial pesticide applicator.[2]
Free local help
The UMass Plant Diagnostics Laboratory offers tree and shrub insect identification for Massachusetts residents who submit samples with a diagnostic form.[9]
Through the year
- Spring to Fall
- In Boston, Suffolk County's larval mosquito control runs from late March through early October, while adult mosquito control runs May through September.[3]
- Winter to Spring
- UMass Extension reports winter moth eggs in Massachusetts hatch from late March into early-to-mid April, and ticks can be active any time temperatures are above freezing.[8]
Sources
- City of Boston Inspectional Services Department, “Pest Management.” www.boston.gov/departments/inspectional-services/pest-management (accessed 2026-10-06)
- City of Boston Inspectional Services Department, “Protocols for the Prevention and Control of Bed Bugs in Multiunit Housing.” www.cityofboston.gov/isd/pdfs/bbproto.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Suffolk County Mosquito Control Project (Massachusetts State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board), “Suffolk County Mosquito Control Project Annual Operations Report 2025.” www.mass.gov/doc/2025-annual-report-suffolk-mosquito/download (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Boston Public Health Commission, “Mosquito Safety.” www.boston.gov/government/cabinets/boston-public-health-commission/infectious-diseases/mosquito-control (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, “Consumer Information Bulletin: Termite Applications.” www.mass.gov/doc/cib-termite/download (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, “Federal, State, and Local Officials Announce Discovery of Asian Longhorned Beetles on Grounds of Boston's Faulkner Hospital.” www.cityofboston.gov/images_documents/DCR's%20ALB%20Press%20Release%207-6-10_tcm3-18151.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
- UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery & Urban Forestry Program, “Winter Moth in Massachusetts: History & Biological Control.” www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/landscape/fact-sheets/winter-moth-in-massachusetts-history-biological-control (accessed 2026-10-06)
- UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery & Urban Forestry Program, “Landscape Message: April 11, 2025.” www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/landscape/landscape-message-april-11-2025 (accessed 2026-10-06)
- UMass Extension Plant Diagnostics Laboratory, “Tree & Shrub Diagnostics.” www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/services/plant-diagnostics-laboratory/tree-shrub-diagnostics (accessed 2026-10-06)
- USDA ARS and PRISM, via phzmapi.org, “Plant hardiness zone for ZIP 02108 (2023 USDA map data).” phzmapi.org/02108.json (accessed 2026-10-06)
- National Pesticide Information Center, “State Pesticide Regulatory Agencies.” npic.orst.edu/reg/state_agencies.html (accessed 2026-10-06)