Pests and pest control in Sioux Falls, SD

Pests to know in Sioux Falls

• Mosquito
• American Dog Tick
• Emerald Ash Borer

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

Termites in Sioux Falls

An Extension expert answering a Yankton County question said southeastern South Dakota does have subterranean termites, but at low levels compared with eastern and southern states.^[5]

Invasive species reported here

Emerald ash borer turned up in Sioux Falls in 2018, a serious blow because ash made up roughly 40 percent of the city's urban forest.^[9]

Pests local experts flag

The state health department identifies Culex tarsalis as South Dakota's primary mosquito vector of West Nile virus; it is a night-biting species.^[4]

Climate

Central Sioux Falls (ZIP 57104) is in USDA plant hardiness zone 5a, where the average coldest winter night is -20 to -15°F.^[11]

Public agencies that handle pests

• Sioux Falls splits the city into 20 mosquito spray zones, each watched with traps that crews check daily while treating larvae found in standing water.^[1]
• The city notes South Dakota has long had one of the highest per-capita West Nile virus rates in the country, which drives its mosquito work.^[1]
• In the health department's first-decade West Nile review, Minnehaha County, home to Sioux Falls, had the lowest average yearly incidence of any South Dakota county.^[3]

Local rules and responsibilities

Under the city's EAB response plan, ash trees and stumps in the public right-of-way are removed by the city at no charge unless the adjoining owner treats them.^[10]

Hiring a licensed company

• Anyone in South Dakota who applies pesticides for hire needs a commercial applicator license from the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, renewed every two years.^[7]
• Commercial applicators treating homes, schools, hospitals or food businesses in South Dakota must pass the structural and health-related pest control exam, which also covers rodent control.^[8]

Licensing agency: South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources — Agriculture & Environmental Services; Inspection, Compliance & Remediation^[12].

See also how to check a pest control license.

Free local help

SDSU Extension lists the American dog tick, Rocky Mountain wood tick and blacklegged tick as common in South Dakota; the blacklegged tick can carry Lyme disease.^[6]

Through the year

Spring to Fall

Sioux Falls says its mosquito season usually runs from early spring through October.^[2]

Spring to Fall

Although South Dakota West Nile cases have appeared from May to October, nearly all illnesses begin in July, August or September, with August the clear peak.^[3]

Sources

1. City of Sioux Falls, “Mosquito Control.” www.siouxfalls.gov/health-safety/health-services/public-health/mosquito-control (accessed 2026-10-06)
2. City of Sioux Falls, “City to Begin Mosquito Control Program for Summer.” www.siouxfalls.gov/news/2026/05/27/20260527-mosqutio_control (accessed 2026-10-06)
3. South Dakota Department of Health, “A decade of West Nile virus in South Dakota: human epidemiology 2002-2011.” doh.sd.gov/media/3x3abmbm/10_year_wnv_in_sd.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
4. South Dakota Department of Health, “West Nile Review: 15 Years of Human Disease in South Dakota, 2002-2016.” doh.sd.gov/media/cvwfhfxw/wnv_review_15_years_in_sd_kightlinger.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
5. Ask Extension (Cooperative Extension System), “Does a concrete & steel building require termite treatment?.” ask2.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=288347 (accessed 2026-10-06)
6. SDSU Extension, “Be On the Lookout for Ticks.” extension.sdstate.edu/be-lookout-ticks (accessed 2026-10-06)
7. South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, “Pesticide Applicators and Dealers.” danr.sd.gov/Agriculture/Inspection/Pesticide/ApplicatorsDealers/default.aspx (accessed 2026-10-06)
8. South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, “Explanation of Commercial Pesticide Certification Category Classifications.” danr.sd.gov/Agriculture/Inspection/Pesticide/ApplicatorsDealers/docs/Explanation%20of%20Commercial%20Pesticide%20CERTIFICATION%20Category%20Classifications%20UPDATED%2009_01_2024.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
9. City of Sioux Falls, “Emerald Ash Borer.” www.siouxfalls.gov/government/departments/parks-recreation/forestry/eab (accessed 2026-10-06)
10. City of Sioux Falls, “City Response Plan.” www.siouxfalls.gov/resident-services/housing-neighborhoods/compliance/ash-borer/response-plan (accessed 2026-10-06)
11. USDA ARS and PRISM, via phzmapi.org, “Plant hardiness zone for ZIP 57104 (2023 USDA map data).” phzmapi.org/57104.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)