This glossary covers terms you'll see across our pest control content, contractor quotes, manufacturer spec sheets, and incentive program documentation. Use it as a reference - we link key terms from across the site back to definitions here.
- PCO (Pest Control Operator)
- Licensed professional pest control technician/company.
- IPM (Integrated Pest Management)
- Combination of prevention, monitoring, and targeted treatment rather than calendar-based spraying.
- Termite Bond
- Annual termite service contract that includes re-treatment if termites reappear.
- Termite Inspection
- Annual visual inspection for termite activity. Required for many home sales.
- Subterranean Termite
- Most common termite species in the US. Lives in soil, builds mud tubes to access wood.
- Drywood Termite
- Lives entirely in wood; doesn't need soil contact. Requires fumigation for whole-house treatment.
- Formosan Termite
- Aggressive subterranean species in southern US (FL, LA, TX, CA). Forms huge colonies.
- Carpenter Ant
- Wood-tunneling ant species. Doesn't eat wood but causes structural damage.
- Bait Station
- Underground or surface station with slow-acting bait that termites/ants carry back to the colony.
- Liquid Soil Treatment
- Termiticide applied to soil around foundation creating a chemical barrier.
- Fumigation (Tenting)
- Whole-structure treatment with gas (sulfuryl fluoride). Required for severe drywood termite infestations.
- Bed Bug Heat Treatment
- Raising room temperature to 120-135°F for 6-8 hours. Kills bed bugs in all life stages.
- Exclusion
- Sealing entry points (vents, gaps, pipes) to physically prevent rodent or pest entry.
- Rodent Bait Station
- Tamper-resistant box containing rodenticide. Placed outside to reduce population pressure.
- Snap Trap
- Mechanical trap for mice/rats. Preferred for indoor use over poisoning.
- Glue Board
- Sticky trap for monitoring insect or rodent activity.
- Pyrethroid
- Class of synthetic insecticides derived from chrysanthemum compounds. Most common active in residential treatments.
- IGR (Insect Growth Regulator)
- Disrupts insect development. Used against fleas, mosquitoes, and roaches.
- Boric Acid
- Low-toxicity active ingredient effective against roaches and ants.
- West Nile Virus
- Mosquito-borne illness present in most US states. Primary reason for residential mosquito control.
- EEE (Eastern Equine Encephalitis)
- Rare but serious mosquito-borne illness, especially in Massachusetts wetland areas.
- Lyme Disease
- Tick-borne illness. Driver of yard tick treatment programs in the Northeast.
- Spotted Lanternfly
- Invasive plant pest in the Northeast. Requires reporting in NJ, PA, NY, CT.
- Tick Tube (Damminix)
- Cardboard tubes treated with permethrin, placed in yard. Mice take cotton inside to nests, killing ticks.
- Roach Bait Gel
- Slow-acting bait gel applied in cracks. Most effective long-term roach control.