Pests to know in Chattanooga
Termites in Chattanooga
- Tennessee advises that termite treatment contracts be warranted for at least one year, and wood-destroying insect reports for home sales carry a 90-day accuracy warranty.[4]
- UT Extension calls subterranean termites the most destructive wood-feeding insects in Tennessee; they enter slab homes through expansion joints, cracks, and utility openings.[6]
Invasive species reported here
Imported fire ants are established in Tennessee, and the state Department of Agriculture set up an Imported Fire Ant Quarantine Rule in 1990 covering infested counties.[7]
Climate
Central Chattanooga (ZIP 37402) is in USDA plant hardiness zone 8a, where the average coldest winter night is 10 to 15°F.[10]
Public agencies that handle pests
- The Hamilton County Health Department's Environmental Health division runs the county's rabies control program, investigating animal bites and coordinating yearly rabies clinics.[1]
- All animal bites in Hamilton County should be reported to the Health Department, and so should any physical contact with a bat, even without a clear bite.[2]
- Hamilton County Health Department treats raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes as rabid unless testing proves otherwise, and sends specimens to the state lab in Knoxville.[2]
- The Hamilton County Health Department does not remove wildlife; residents with animals in the home are directed to a licensed wildlife removal company.[2]
Local rules and responsibilities
Chattanooga Code Enforcement enforces property maintenance codes covering overgrowth and litter, and vacant overgrown properties can be city-abated after a 10-day waiting period.[3]
Hiring a licensed company
Free local help
UT Extension Hamilton County helps with pesticide applicator certification and offers recertification points through its annual Chattanooga Landscape Short Course.[9]
Through the year
- Summer
- UT Extension notes that fire ants from colonies near homes sometimes forage indoors for food and moisture, especially in the hot, dry summer months.[8]
Sources
- Hamilton County Health Department, “Environmental.” health.hamiltontn.org/en-us/services/environmental.aspx (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Hamilton County Health Department, “Rabies Control.” health.hamiltontn.org/en-us/services/environmental/rabiescontrol.aspx (accessed 2026-10-06)
- City of Chattanooga, “Code Enforcement.” chattanooga.gov/public-works/code-enforcement (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Tennessee Department of Agriculture, “Pesticide Consumer Tips.” www.tn.gov/agriculture/businesses/pesticides/pesticide-consumer-tips.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Tennessee Department of Agriculture, “Pesticide Charters.” www.tn.gov/agriculture/businesses/pesticides/pesticide-charters.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
- University of Tennessee Extension, “PB1344-Subterranean Termite Control.” trace.tennessee.edu/utk_agexdise/15 (accessed 2026-10-06)
- University of Tennessee Extension, “Imported Fire Ant Quarantine.” fireants.tennessee.edu/management/quarantine/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- University of Tennessee Extension, “Urban Areas.” fireants.tennessee.edu/management/urban-areas/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- UT Extension Hamilton County, “Pesticide Certification.” hamilton.tennessee.edu/pesticide-certification/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- USDA ARS and PRISM, via phzmapi.org, “Plant hardiness zone for ZIP 37402 (2023 USDA map data).” phzmapi.org/37402.json (accessed 2026-10-06)
- National Pesticide Information Center, “State Pesticide Regulatory Agencies.” npic.orst.edu/reg/state_agencies.html (accessed 2026-10-06)