One-Time vs Quarterly Pest Control
For one problem with a clear end, like a wasp nest or a few crickets after a storm, one visit is enough. For pests that keep coming back from outside, like ants and roaches, a quarterly plan usually costs less over a year than calling each time, and Memphis weather gives them plenty of chances to come back.
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Whichever you choose, ask for the price and what each visit includes in writing before any treatment.
When one visit is enough
- One wasp or hornet nest.
- A few crickets or millipedes after heavy rain.
- A single mouse in the garage, if you also seal where it came in.
- Before you move into a house or apartment, as a check.
In those cases I would not sign a plan. Pay for the visit and the advice.
When a plan makes sense
- Ants or the large outdoor roaches that come in every few weeks in warm months.
- Brown recluses, which take repeated visits and monitoring.
- Older houses with many entry points, where new gaps keep opening.
- Homes next to woods or fields, where pressure from outside never stops.
Memphis averages about 221 nights a year at 50°F or warmer and only 6 at 20°F or colder (NOAA, 1996 to 2025). That is a long season for insects that live outside and wander in. A plan spreads the cost and gets someone back between visits if they return.
Average nights per month that stay at 50°F or warmer, Memphis
The math
National guides put a one-time general visit at $50 to $500, with an average of $171 (This Old House, March 2026). Plans usually charge more for the first visit, which carries the inspection and the heavier treatment, then less for each quarterly visit. Add up the first visit plus three more, and compare that to how many times you would realistically call in a year. If the answer is once, skip the plan.
Contract terms to read first
- How long the contract runs, and whether it renews automatically.
- What pests are included. Termites, bed bugs, rodents and mosquitoes are usually separate.
- Whether re-service calls between visits are free.
- How you cancel, and whether there is a fee.
- Whether the price can go up at renewal.
Signing at the door
If you signed a plan with a salesperson at your home, the FTC cooling-off rule usually gives you three business days to cancel a sale of $25 or more, and the seller must give you a cancellation form. See door-to-door pest contracts.
Termites are different
A termite contract is its own thing in Tennessee. It renews yearly, and the Department of Agriculture says it should be warranted for no less than one year. See termite bonds.
Questions homeowners ask
Is quarterly pest control worth it in Memphis?
For recurring ants and roaches, often yes, given how long the warm season runs. For one problem with a clear end, a single visit is cheaper.
How much does one pest control visit cost?
National guides put a one-time general visit at $50 to $500, averaging $171.
Can I cancel a pest control contract?
Read the cancellation terms before you sign. If you signed at home, the FTC cooling-off rule usually gives you three business days.
Does a quarterly plan include termites?
Usually not. Termite coverage is a separate contract in Tennessee.