Pest Control in Maryland

Occasional Invaders pressure in Maryland is rated Extreme (10/10). Stink bug invasion peak October–November is the most recognized pest event in Maryland. Call (844) 920-3454 to connect with a licensed Maryland specialist who can assess your specific property risk and recommend the most effective treatment approach.

The wildlife pests most frequently requiring professional management on Maryland properties include moles and voles tunneling through lawns and garden beds, skunks denning under porches and decks, opossums raiding garbage and pet food, and bird species such as pigeons and starlings roosting or nesting on structures. In Maryland, the specific species composition varies by habitat type -- rural and suburban {county} properties adjacent to wooded corridors tend to experience the widest range of wildlife pressure. Unlike insects, wildlife management involves exclusion, habitat modification, and live removal strategies rather than chemical treatment, and requires consideration of local regulations.

Moles produce surface tunnels visible as raised ridges of soil running across your lawn, along with volcano-shaped mounds of excavated earth at tunnel entrances. In Maryland, active mole tunneling in spring and fall -- when earthworm activity peaks near the surface -- creates the most visible lawn damage. Moles are solitary and even a single individual can produce an extensive, disorienting tunnel network across a {county} property within days. Running moles displace grass roots, causing sections of lawn to feel spongy underfoot. Active tunnels -- confirmed by stepping down the ridge and checking whether it's re-raised the next morning -- indicate a mole currently using that run.

Voles are small, mouse-like rodents that differ from moles by feeding on vegetation rather than insects. In Maryland and throughout Maryland, voles cause damage by girdling the bark of trees and shrubs at the soil line -- particularly damaging under snow cover when girdling goes undetected -- and by creating surface runways through dense grass and ground cover. Vole tunnel openings are approximately 1.5 inches in diameter at ground level, smaller than mole mounds, and often found at the base of foundation plantings, along mulch bed edges, and under ornamental grasses. Severe vole pressure in {county} landscapes can kill established shrubs and fruit trees through root feeding and bark girdling over a single winter.

Professional mole management in Maryland relies primarily on trapping placed in active tunnel runs, confirmed by the pressed-down-and-re-raised test. Professionals identify the main travel tunnels (which moles use repeatedly) versus feeding tunnels (used once) and concentrate effort on primary runs for maximum effectiveness. Repellent applications using castor oil-based products disrupt mole foraging in treated areas and are used to push populations away from high-priority landscape zones. Because moles are protected in some states and regulated in others, licensed pest management professionals in Maryland ensure their methods comply with applicable wildlife management regulations. Addressing yard conditions that concentrate earthworms -- overwatering, heavy organic amendment -- reduces long-term mole pressure.

Skunks select den sites based on protection from predators and weather. The accessible crawl space beneath decks, porches, sheds, and concrete stoops in Maryland provides exactly the covered, ground-level shelter skunks seek for denning -- particularly females raising young in spring. Once a skunk discovers a suitable den site on your {county} property, it may remain for weeks and be difficult to vacate voluntarily. Skunks are most active at dusk and dawn and may go undetected until a defensive spray event occurs. Professional exclusion -- installing a mesh barrier around the structure perimeter with a one-way exit that allows the skunk to leave but not return -- is the standard approach to resolve denning without direct skunk contact.