Home / Pests by county / Kent County
Farm fields surround most Kent County neighborhoods. When crops come off in the fall, mice and rats move into homes and outbuildings. Wooded edges and fields keep tick pressure high in spring.
Towns: Dover · Smyrna · Milford · Camden · Clayton · Harrington · Felton · Magnolia
Move inside as nights cool. Droppings and gnawing are the first signs.
Peak: Oct – FebTreated by Mosquito & Pest Authority
Deer ticks carry Lyme. Found in tall grass, leaf litter and wooded edges.
Peak: Apr – Jul, Oct – NovTreated by Mosquito & Pest Authority
Subterranean termites swarm in spring. A must-check before any home sale.
Peak: Mar – MayTreated by Mosquito & Pest Authority
Odorous house ants and carpenter ants lead spring kitchen calls.
Peak: Apr – JulTreated by Mosquito & Pest Authority
Salt marsh and backyard breeders. Worst near standing water and the coast.
Peak: Jun – AugTreated by Mosquito & Pest Authority
Gather on sunny walls in fall and slip in around windows.
Peak: Sep – NovTreated by Mosquito & Pest AuthorityLocal pest notes and seasonal timing for 5 Kent County communities.
Yes. The Delaware Department of Agriculture reported findings in Kent County in October 2020 and has since confirmed populations in all three counties; the quarantine now covers the entire state. Inspect vehicles and items you move, and destroy any egg masses.
It depends where you live. DNREC’s Northern Delaware Office in Glasgow serves the northern half of Kent County, including Dover. The Southern Delaware Office in Milford serves the southern half of Kent County south of Dover.
DNREC says lone star ticks are the most common tick in Delaware, especially in Kent and Sussex counties. Longhorned ticks are found in New Castle and Kent counties during the spring and summer, and blacklegged ticks live in wooded areas and forest edges statewide.
Yes. DNREC says ticks can be active year-round in Delaware, and blacklegged (deer) tick adults are most active in the late fall and winter. Keep checking yourself, kids and pets after time outdoors.
DNREC’s tick program has an online tick identification form at de.gov/ticks; a photo of the top of the tick helps. Delaware does not offer tick pathogen testing, so talk to your doctor or veterinarian if you’re worried about illness.
Sponsored partners serving Kent County
Inside & around the house · Year-round
General pest, termites, rodents, bed bugs and wildlife for homes and businesses in all three counties. Need a WDI (termite) report for a home sale? They do those too.
Sponsored · About Mosquito & Pest Authority → · Mosquito & Pest Authority (home pest control) ↗
The yard · Spring through fall
Barrier treatments for mosquitoes and ticks, plus flies and spotted lanternfly. No mosquitoes, guaranteed — if they come back between visits, they re-treat free.
Sponsored · About Mosquito & Pest Authority → · Mosquito & Pest Authority (mosquito & tick control) ↗