What a company owes you on request
Section 482.2265 entitles you to ask for the business name, the identification card number of the person applying, the product's common or brand name and its active ingredient, and label safety information. Keep those details with the receipt.
Ask the company which ant or roach it found, and how it knows. A photograph of the insect on a light surface, with a coin for scale, helps any phone call.
Ant and roach treatment cost in Florida: what our model says
An ant or roach treatment comes to $170 to $345 per treatment in our model, and a severe infestation has its own row. Both scale one national source, widened 15 percent each side, by Florida's wage ratio of 0.99, and neither is a quote.
One Florida company price for a roach treatment was counted, short of the five needed for a range from Florida prices. Ask how many visits the price covers and what a return visit costs.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $170 to $345 per treatment | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Florida pest control worker wage ratio (0.99). Four Florida pest control companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (one counted Florida company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Estimated range for a severe infestation, not a quote | $675 to $1,375 per treatment, severe infestation | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Florida pest control worker wage ratio (0.99). Four Florida pest control companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Florida company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Pest control pay, Florida | $22.15 an hour | Mean hourly pay of Florida pest control workers (BLS, May 2025); an ant or roach treatment is priced by the company. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (1 source), adjusted by Florida's pest control worker wage ratio to the US (0.99, BLS May 2025), with no permit fee added because pest control has no city permit. Not a quote. Four Florida pest control companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Only one Florida company publishes a price we could count for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 24, 2026.
Which operator category covers household pests
The statute lists general household pest control as one of four operator certificate categories, and FDACS's own licensing page calls it General Household Pest and Rodent Control. A person certified in one category may not do work in the scope of another unless certified in it. The statute doesn't list ants or roaches by name, so ask the company which category its operator in charge holds.
Fogging machines and exterior notices
Section 482.231 allows a thermal-aerosol fogging machine in general household pest control only to a certified operator certified in that category or an authorized employee working under that operator. When a company treats a lawn or exterior foliage, it posts a notice of at least 4 by 5 inches naming the business, and a neighbor on FDACS's prior-notification registry must get 24 hours' warning.
Fire ants and the county district
Orange County's Mosquito and Vector Control District lists red imported fire ants, rats and flies among its services, and says residents can request insect identification online. If you live in Orange County, send that identification request before you hire anyone.
Is an ant or roach problem ever urgent?
- Someone feels ill after a treatment: get the product's name and active ingredient from the company, which s. 482.2265 lets you ask for.
- Comparing bids across companies.
- Identifying the insect, which a county service or a photograph can do.
Steps before the visit
- Photograph the insect on a light surface with a coin beside it.
- Write down the room, the time and how many you see.
- Ask the company to name the species it found.
- Get the pesticide's name and active ingredient before the technician starts.
- Ask what a return visit costs.
Who may treat ants and roaches for pay
The company needs an FDACS business license for the location and an operator in charge certified in the category of the work. Florida cities don't add a pest control license of their own, though they may charge a local business tax receipt. Ask for the business license number and the technician's identification card.
Ask for the company's FDACS business license number and the name of its certified operator in charge, and check the license with FDACS before any work starts.
Questions people ask
How much does ant or roach control cost in Florida?
Our model puts it at $170 to $345 per treatment, an estimate and not a quote. The table adds a severe-infestation row. Ask how many visits the price covers.
What can I ask a technician before ant treatment?
The pesticide's common or brand name, its active ingredient and the label's safety information. Section 482.2265 also lets you ask for the identification card number of the person applying.
Does an ant or roach treatment need a certified operator?
A pest control business needs an operator in charge certified in each category of work it does at the location, and general household is one category. FDACS's licensing page calls that category General Household Pest and Rodent Control.
Can anyone use a fogging machine for household pests?
No: s. 482.231 reserves thermal-aerosol fogging machines in general household pest control to an operator certified in that category or an employee under that operator's supervision. Ask whether the technician holds that certificate or works under the operator who does.
Does my county identify insects?
Orange County's district says residents can request insect identification online. Its district also lists red imported fire ants, rats and flies among its services.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Pest Control Workers (SOC 37-2021), Florida, mean hourly wage Read Oct 24, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Pest Control Workers (SOC 37-2021), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- PestControlMatch: how we estimate costs, Florida (editorial policy) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Statutes 2026 (Online Sunshine), chapter 482 Pest Control, page header "The 2026 Florida Statutes", s. 482.2265; 5E-14.147 Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District: Our Services; OCFL Newsroom directory: Rats/Rodent Control Read Oct 24, 2026.