Pests and pest control in Newark, NJ

Pests to know in Newark

• Mosquito
• Subterranean termites
• Ticks
• Spotted Lanternfly

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

Termites in Newark

Rutgers says every naturally occurring termite in the Northeast is a subterranean termite (Reticulitermes), which nests in soil and builds mud tubes to reach wood.^[6]

Invasive species reported here

Spotted lanternfly has spread into New Jersey, where it feeds on sap from grapevines, maples, black walnut and other plants and leaves sticky honeydew behind.^[10]

Pests local experts flag

Essex County's mosquito-borne disease surveillance centers on West Nile virus, and can also cover Eastern equine encephalitis and Saint Louis encephalitis.^[3]

Climate

Central Newark (ZIP 07102) is in USDA plant hardiness zone 7b, where the average coldest winter night is 5 to 10°F.^[11]

Public agencies that handle pests

• Newark's Rodent Control Bureau investigates resident rodent complaints, looking for active signs of infestation and conditions that encourage rats.^[1]
• The city bureau places rodent bait outside infested properties such as rear yards and garages of city-owned vacant buildings and city-owned lots.^[2]
• Newark surveys properties block by block to gauge rodent levels and sanitation conditions across neighborhoods.^[2]
• Essex County's mosquito program, run by its Division of Environmental Affairs, was the first mosquito control agency established in New Jersey.^[3]
• New Jersey's health department no longer tests birds for West Nile virus; residents who find a sick or dead bird should report it to their county mosquito control agency.^[4]
• Tick-borne illnesses recorded in New Jersey include Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Powassan virus and alpha-gal syndrome, according to the state health department.^[5]

Hiring a licensed company

• New Jersey requires anyone applying general-use or restricted-use pesticides, private or commercial, to be both certified and licensed through NJDEP.^[7]
• Exterminators count as commercial pesticide applicators in New Jersey; termite work falls under certification category 7B, separate from general household pest control (7A).^[7]

Licensing agency: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection — Bureau of Pesticide Compliance & Enforcement^[12].

See also how to check a pest control license.

Free local help

• Rutgers Cooperative Extension keeps an office in every one of New Jersey's 21 counties, including an Essex County office serving Newark residents.^[8]
• Rutgers' Center for Vector Biology launched the NJ Tick Blitz in 2018, which grew into the NJticks4Science citizen-science tick surveillance project.^[9]

Through the year

Spring to Summer

Termite swarmers leave mature colonies on warm, sunny days between April and June, which is when most New Jersey homeowners first notice them.^[6]

Sources

1. City of Newark, “Rodent Control Bureau.” www.newarknj.gov/209/Rodent-Control-Bureau (accessed 2026-10-06)
2. City of Newark, “Rodent Control Bureau.” newarknj.gov/card/rodent-control-bureau (accessed 2026-10-06)
3. Borough of Essex Fells (Essex County Mosquito Control notice), “Essex County Mosquito Control - General Mosquito Question & Answer Sheet.” www.essexfellsboro.com/News/View/4037/essex-county-mosquito-control-general-mosquito-question-and-answer-sheet (accessed 2026-10-06)
4. New Jersey Department of Health, “West Nile Virus.” www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/westnile.shtml (accessed 2026-10-06)
5. New Jersey Department of Health, “Tickborne Diseases & Conditions.” www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml (accessed 2026-10-06)
6. Rutgers Cooperative Extension (NJAES), “FS338: Termite Prevention and Control.” njaes.rutgers.edu/fs338/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
7. Rutgers Pest Management Office, “Private and Commercial Pesticide Applicator Licensing Requirements.” pestmanagement.rutgers.edu/pat/certlicensreq/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
8. Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Essex County, “Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Essex County.” essex.njaes.rutgers.edu/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
9. Rutgers Center for Vector Biology, “Center for Vector Biology.” vectorbio.rutgers.edu/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
10. New Jersey Department of Agriculture, “Spotted Lanternfly.” www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/pests-diseases/spotted-lanternfly/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
11. USDA ARS and PRISM, via phzmapi.org, “Plant hardiness zone for ZIP 07102 (2023 USDA map data).” phzmapi.org/07102.json (accessed 2026-10-06)
12. National Pesticide Information Center, “State Pesticide Regulatory Agencies.” npic.orst.edu/reg/state_agencies.html (accessed 2026-10-06)