Pests to know in Trenton
Termites in Trenton
Rutgers Cooperative Extension says every naturally occurring termite in the northeastern U.S. is a subterranean termite (Reticulitermes), which nests in soil and builds mud tubes to reach wood.[6]
Invasive species reported here
The spotted lanternfly, an invasive planthopper first found in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 2014, has spread into New Jersey, according to the state Department of Agriculture.[9]
Pests local experts flag
- For wildlife inside a home, Trenton Humane Law Enforcement and Animal Services makes one courtesy visit to help capture the animal. The city no longer rents traps and refers residents to certified wildlife specialists.[5]
- Rutgers reports the oriental beetle has become by far the most important white grub in New Jersey lawns. Grubs chew turf roots, and damage can spread quickly from late August through mid-October.[10]
Climate
Central Trenton (ZIP 08608) is in USDA plant hardiness zone 7a, where the average coldest winter night is 0 to 5°F.[11]
Public agencies that handle pests
- Mercer County Mosquito Control watches for West Nile virus and may also track eastern equine encephalitis and Saint Louis encephalitis. Overnight surveillance traps may be placed on a property and collected the next day.[1]
- Mercer County Mosquito Control uses integrated pest management. Its main larvicide is Bti, a bacterium-based product, and it uses a synthetic pyrethroid spray only when adult mosquitoes are unusually numerous and public health is threatened.[2]
- Trenton's Bureau of Environmental Health includes one Pest Control Operator, and its environmental inspectors are on call to respond to public health nuisance complaints, including rodent complaints.[3]
- The New Jersey Department of Health observes May as Tickborne Disease Awareness Month and publishes weekly vector-borne surveillance reports, including mosquito pool testing, during the annual peak season.[4]
Hiring a licensed company
New Jersey requires every pesticide applicator, private or commercial, to be both certified and licensed. The NJDEP Pesticide Control Program began certifying applicators in 1975.[7]
Free local help
Rutgers' Center for Vector Biology works with mosquito control professionals in all 21 New Jersey counties. Rutgers professor J. B. Smith launched New Jersey's first areawide mosquito control programs in 1912.[8]
Through the year
- Spring to Fall
- Mercer County's seasonal mosquito control generally begins in March, when snowpool mosquito species hatch, and runs into November until temperatures drop significantly.[1]
- Spring to Summer
- Subterranean termite swarmers leave the nest on warm, sunny days between April and June, which Rutgers says is when most homeowners first notice termites.[6]
Sources
- Mercer County Mosquito Control (Mercer County, NJ), “Mosquito Control Operations.” www.mercercounty.org/departments/transportation-and-infrastructure/mosquito-control/operations (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Mercer County Mosquito Control (Mercer County, NJ), “Products Used.” www.mercercounty.org/departments/transportation-and-infrastructure/mosquito-control/products-used (accessed 2026-10-06)
- City of Trenton Department of Health and Human Services, “Bureau of Environmental Health.” www.trentonnj.org/184/Bureau-of-Environmental-Health (accessed 2026-10-06)
- New Jersey Department of Health, “Fight the Bite, NJ! (Vector-borne Diseases).” www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/vectorborne.shtml (accessed 2026-10-06)
- City of Trenton – Trenton Humane Law Enforcement & Animal Services, “Wildlife & Free Roaming / Feral Cats.” www.trentonnj.org/191/Wildlife-Free-Roaming-Feral-Cats (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Rutgers Cooperative Extension (NJAES), “Termite Prevention and Control (FS338).” njaes.rutgers.edu/fs338/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Rutgers Pest Management Office (NJ Pesticide Applicator Training), “Private and Commercial Pesticide Applicator Licensing Requirements.” pestmanagement.rutgers.edu/pat/certlicensreq/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Rutgers Center for Vector Biology, “Center for Vector Biology.” vectorbio.rutgers.edu/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- New Jersey Department of Agriculture, “Spotted Lanternfly.” www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/pests-diseases/spotted-lanternfly/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Rutgers Cooperative Extension (NJAES), “An Integrated Approach to Insect Management in Turfgrass: White Grubs (FS1009).” njaes.rutgers.edu/fs1009/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- USDA ARS and PRISM, via phzmapi.org, “Plant hardiness zone for ZIP 08608 (2023 USDA map data).” phzmapi.org/08608.json (accessed 2026-10-06)
- National Pesticide Information Center, “State Pesticide Regulatory Agencies.” npic.orst.edu/reg/state_agencies.html (accessed 2026-10-06)