Pests and pest control in Missoula, MT

Pests to know in Missoula

• Ticks
• Pine Bark Beetles
• Hobo Spider
• Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
• Japanese Beetle

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

Termites in Missoula

On FHA's Termite Treatment Exception Areas list, Missoula County is not among the Montana counties exempted, so termite treatment is required there for new-construction financing.^[11]

Invasive species reported here

• MSU Extension reports the invasive brown marmorated stink bug was confirmed in Billings in 2021, in Kalispell in 2021, and in Hamilton in 2022.^[8]
• Montana's exterior Japanese beetle quarantine aims to keep the beetle out of uninfested parts of the state; the pest feeds on more than 500 plant species.^[9]

Pests local experts flag

• Montana's health department calls Rocky Mountain spotted fever rare in the state, with about eight cases reported per year on average.^[4]
• MSU Extension says hobo spiders have long been common in Montana and, like other spiders, normally enter buildings and homes in late summer and early fall.^[7]

Climate

Central Missoula (ZIP 59802) is in USDA plant hardiness zone 5b, where the average coldest winter night is -15 to -10°F.^[12]

Public agencies that handle pests

• Missoula Public Health says bats are the most common rabies carriers in the Missoula area.^[1]
• Montana's health department reports that hantavirus in the state is spread mainly by deer mice, with white-footed mice also carrying it in eastern Montana.^[2]
• Montana's health department says West Nile virus first reached the state in 2002 and is carried mainly by Culex species, also called house mosquitoes.^[3]

Hiring a licensed company

Montana licenses commercial pesticide applicators who apply pesticides by contract or for hire, including to structures, after specialized training and testing in their licensed categories.^[10]

Licensing agency: Montana Department of Agriculture — Pesticide Programs^[13].

See also how to check a pest control license.

Free local help

The Missoula County Ecology and Extension plant clinic offers pest identification, diagnostics, and advice based on integrated pest management.^[6]

Through the year

Spring to Summer

Montana ticks are most active from April through July, and residents are most likely to run into them in May.^[4]

Summer

Missoula County's pest management calendar says preventive sprays should be on undamaged pines by the first week of June, ahead of new mountain pine beetle attacks.^[5]

Sources

1. Missoula Public Health (Missoula City-County Health Department), “Rabies.” missoulapublichealth.org/communities/current-health-issues/rabies/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
2. 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)
3. Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, “West Nile Virus.” dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/cdepi/diseases/westnilevirus (accessed 2026-10-06)
4. Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, “Tickborne Illnesses.” dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/cdepi/diseases/ticks/index (accessed 2026-10-06)
5. Missoula County Department of Ecology & Extension, “Pest Management Calendar: New Mountain Pine Beetle attacks start.” missoulaeduplace.org/what-we-do/horticulture-agriculture/plant-clinic/pest-management-calendar.html/event/2026/07/09/1783580400/new-mountain-pine-beetle-attacks-start/522526 (accessed 2026-10-06)
6. Missoula County Department of Ecology & Extension, “Plant Clinic.” missoulaeduplace.org/what-we-do/horticulture-agriculture/plant-clinic/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
7. Montana State University Extension, “Hobo Spiders.” urbanipm.montana.edu/entomology/resources/fact-sheets/spiders_of_montana/hobo-spiders.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
8. 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)
9. Montana Department of Agriculture, “Quarantine MTQ-2026-01: Japanese Beetle (Exterior).” agr.mt.gov/_docs/pests-docs/pestquarantine_MTQ_2026-01.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
10. Montana Department of Agriculture, “Pesticide License Program.” agr.mt.gov/Pesticide-License-Program (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 59802 (2023 USDA map data).” phzmapi.org/59802.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)