Pests to know in Flagstaff
Termites in Flagstaff
- University of Arizona Extension identifies the arid land subterranean termite, Reticulitermes tibialis, as the most common termite pest in the Flagstaff area.[3]
- UA Extension says that at higher altitudes such as Prescott and Flagstaff, the drywood termite Marginitermes hubbardi, found around Phoenix and Tucson, is replaced by Incisitermes minor.[3]
Pests local experts flag
- Coconino County advises against relocating prairie dogs, describing them as a native keystone species whose burrows create habitat for other species.[1]
- UA Extension notes the ponderosa pine forest from the San Francisco Peaks to Payson and Prescott is the world's largest contiguous ponderosa stand, and dead or dying trees there were likely killed by bark beetles.[5]
Climate
Central Flagstaff (ZIP 86001) is in USDA plant hardiness zone 6a, where the average coldest winter night is -10 to -5°F.[8]
Public agencies that handle pests
- Because plague is endemic to the Southwest, Coconino County Health and Human Services keeps a plague surveillance system and also monitors West Nile virus, hantavirus and rabies.[1]
- When a prairie dog die-off occurs, Coconino County health staff survey the property and carry out flea mitigation as appropriate. Residents who see a sudden rodent or rabbit die-off are asked to contact the county.[1]
- Coconino County Environmental Health's duties include monitoring diseases in animals that can spread to people and investigating public health nuisance complaints.[2]
- Arizona's health department encourages pet owners to use flea and tick preventives and limit pet contact with wildlife, especially in northern Arizona where these diseases occur more often.[7]
Hiring a licensed company
The Arizona Department of Agriculture's Pest Management Division is the state body that regulates the use, disposal and storage of pesticides.[6]
Free local help
A University of Arizona Extension publication reports 11 confirmed hantavirus cases in Arizona from 2016 to 2022, most in northern Arizona, including three in Coconino County.[4]
Through the year
- Summer
- Above 4,000 feet in Arizona, the arid land subterranean termite swarms in summer, usually June and July, with flights during daylight on sunny days.[3]
- Winter to Summer
- UA Extension says several bark beetle generations may breed each summer in the area's ponderosa pines, with the last generation overwintering as adults under the bark.[5]
Sources
- Coconino County Health and Human Services, “Plague.” www.coconino.az.gov/3465/Plague (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Coconino County Health and Human Services, “Environmental Health.” www.coconino.az.gov/229/Environmental-Health (accessed 2026-10-06)
- University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, “Arizona Termites of Economic Importance (AZ1369).” extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1369.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
- University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, “Hantavirus and Disease Prevention (AZ2158).” www.extension.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/2025-09/az2158-hantavirus-disease-prevention.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
- University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, “Backyard Gardener #233: Pine Bark Beetles.” www.extension.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/2024-10/PineBarkBeetles.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Arizona Department of Agriculture, Pest Management Division, “Pest Management FAQ.” azda.gov/node/218 (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Arizona Department of Health Services, “Protecting People and Pets against Plague in Arizona.” directorsblog.health.azdhs.gov/protecting-people-and-pets-against-plague-in-arizona/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- USDA ARS and PRISM, via phzmapi.org, “Plant hardiness zone for ZIP 86001 (2023 USDA map data).” phzmapi.org/86001.json (accessed 2026-10-06)
- National Pesticide Information Center, “State Pesticide Regulatory Agencies.” npic.orst.edu/reg/state_agencies.html (accessed 2026-10-06)