Pests and pest control in Burlington, VT

Pests to know in Burlington

• Ticks
• Mosquito
• Asian Tiger Mosquito
• Emerald Ash Borer

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

Termites in Burlington

FHA's termite exception list includes Chittenden County, so new-construction loans there don't require termite treatment documentation, a sign of low termite pressure.^[11]

Invasive species reported here

• The Asian tiger mosquito is now considered established at a southern Vermont trap site in Windham County after six straight years of detections.^[5]
• Ash makes up about 5% of Vermont's trees, and most ash trees infested by emerald ash borer will die; eradication of the beetle is not expected.^[6]

Climate

Central Burlington (ZIP 05401) is in USDA plant hardiness zone 5b, where the average coldest winter night is -15 to -10°F.^[12]

Public agencies that handle pests

• Five tick-bite illnesses occur in Vermont. Lyme disease is the most common, and anaplasmosis and babesiosis cases have risen over the past decade.^[1]
• Two human cases of Eastern equine encephalitis were reported in Chittenden County in 2024, Vermont's first human EEE cases since 2012.^[3]
• West Nile virus has turned up in every Vermont county and is detected in mosquitoes each year, though it rarely makes people sick.^[4]
• Vermont's Health Department recommends heat as the main treatment for bed bugs in homes, with pesticides used only for spots heat can't reach, applied by a licensed professional.^[9]

Local rules and responsibilities

Burlington's Department of Permitting and Inspections enforces the city's housing, rental and health codes, including the Minimum Housing Ordinance in Chapter 18 of the city code.^[8]

Hiring a licensed company

Anyone applying pesticides to other people's homes or land in Vermont needs commercial applicator certification and must work under a licensed pesticide company.^[7]

Licensing agency: Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets — Pesticide Programs^[13].

See also how to check a pest control license.

Free local help

UVM's Integrated Tick Management Program notes that Vermont reports some of the highest Lyme disease and anaplasmosis rates in the country.^[10]

Through the year

Spring to Fall

Blacklegged (deer) tick activity in Vermont peaks in May and June as nymphs seek hosts, then rises again in October and November with adult females.^[2]

Summer to Fall

The state traps and tests mosquitoes from early June through mid-October at roughly 100 sites, checking for West Nile, EEE and Jamestown Canyon viruses.^[5]

Sources

1. Vermont Department of Health, “Tick Bite Illnesses.” www.healthvermont.gov/disease-control/tick-bite-illnesses (accessed 2026-10-06)
2. Vermont Department of Health, “Tick Activity in Vermont.” www.healthvermont.gov/disease-control/tick-bite-illnesses/tick-activity-vermont (accessed 2026-10-06)
3. Vermont Department of Health, “Eastern Equine Encephalitis.” www.healthvermont.gov/disease-control/mosquito-borne-diseases/eastern-equine-encephalitis (accessed 2026-10-06)
4. Vermont Department of Health, “West Nile Virus.” www.healthvermont.gov/disease-control/mosquito-borne-diseases/west-nile-virus (accessed 2026-10-06)
5. Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets, “Mosquito Surveillance.” agriculture.vermont.gov/public-health-agricultural-resource-management-division/plant-health-and-pest-management-1 (accessed 2026-10-06)
6. VTinvasives (Vermont Dept. of Forests, Parks & Recreation and UVM Extension), “Emerald Ash Borer.” vtinvasives.org/invasive/emerald-ash-borer (accessed 2026-10-06)
7. Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets, “Pesticide Applicator Types & Certification.” agriculture.vermont.gov/public-health-agricultural-resource-management-division/pesticide-programs/applicator-types (accessed 2026-10-06)
8. City of Burlington, VT, “Permitting & Inspections.” www.burlingtonvt.gov/DPI (accessed 2026-10-06)
9. Vermont Department of Health, “Insects, Rodents and Pests (Town Health Officer Manual).” www.healthvermont.gov/sites/default/files/document/env-tho-manual-insects-rodents-pests.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
10. University of Vermont, Integrated Tick Management Program (VT-TIC), “About - Vermont Tick Information Center.” site.uvm.edu/vt-tic/?p=167 (accessed 2026-10-06)
11. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (FHA), “Termite Treatment Exception Areas.” www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/SFH/documents/SFH_POLI_TERMITE.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
12. USDA ARS and PRISM, via phzmapi.org, “Plant hardiness zone for ZIP 05401 (2023 USDA map data).” phzmapi.org/05401.json (accessed 2026-10-06)
13. National Pesticide Information Center, “State Pesticide Regulatory Agencies.” npic.orst.edu/reg/state_agencies.html (accessed 2026-10-06)