Pests to know in Mobile
Termites in Mobile
Alabama Extension says Formosan subterranean termites are most prevalent in hot, humid coastal counties such as Mobile and Baldwin.[4]
Invasive species reported here
Imported fire ants first entered the United States around 1918 near Mobile, Alabama, before spreading across the Southeast.[6]
Pests local experts flag
- Heavy rainfall in Mobile County drives mosquito activity; inspectors treat breeding sites such as roadside ditches, storm drains, swamps and dredge spoil sites year-round.[1]
- Common ticks in Alabama include the blacklegged (deer) tick, American dog tick and lone star tick; spotted fever rickettsiosis is among the most-watched tick diseases.[3]
Climate
Central Mobile (ZIP 36602) is in USDA plant hardiness zone 9a, where the average coldest winter night is 20 to 25°F.[7]
Public agencies that handle pests
- Mobile County Health Department Vector Control has monitored sentinel chickens across the county since 1985 to detect mosquito-borne viruses.[1]
- Mobile County is divided into 50 mosquito spray routes; each weekday night the health department targets 9-10 of them based on traps, rainfall and service requests.[1]
- Mobile County residents can call Mosquito Control to join the "Bee and Allergy List" and get a call before spraying in their area.[1]
- The Mobile County Health Department provides rodent control in response to public complaints, placing rodenticide outside buildings and advising residents on sanitation.[1]
- The Alabama Department of Public Health says mosquitoes in Alabama have been documented carrying Eastern equine, Saint Louis and La Crosse encephalitis.[2]
Hiring a licensed company
Alabama pest control businesses need a Structural Professional Services License, covering household pest control, fumigation and wood-destroying organism work, renewed annually from October 1 to September 30.[5]
Free local help
Alabama's climate lets termites stay active year-round in most of the state, according to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.[4]
Through the year
- Spring to Fall
- Alabama ticks are most active in early spring and late fall, but tick-borne illnesses have been reported year-round in the state.[3]
Sources
- Mobile County Health Department, “Vector Services.” mchd.org/vector-services/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Alabama Department of Public Health, “Mosquito-borne Diseases.” www.alabamapublichealth.gov/mosquito/index.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Alabama Department of Public Health, “Tick-borne Diseases.” www.alabamapublichealth.gov/tick/index.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Alabama Cooperative Extension System, “Termite Territory is Expanding in Alabama—The Basics of Termite Control.” www.aces.edu/blog/topics/home/termite-territory-is-expanding-in-alabama-the-basics-of-termite-control/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, “Professional Services.” agi.alabama.gov/pesticidemanagement/programs/professional-services/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Mississippi State University Extension Service, “Fire Ant Facts.” extension.msstate.edu/insects/fire-ants/fire-ant-facts (accessed 2026-10-06)
- USDA ARS and PRISM, via phzmapi.org, “Plant hardiness zone for ZIP 36602 (2023 USDA map data).” phzmapi.org/36602.json (accessed 2026-10-06)
- National Pesticide Information Center, “State Pesticide Regulatory Agencies.” npic.orst.edu/reg/state_agencies.html (accessed 2026-10-06)