Terminix and Aptive Environmental are both good options if you’re looking for a pest control company, but which one is better for you? That depends on where you live, which services you need, and how important eco-friendly methods are to you. This comparison will help you make your choice.
For more top-recommended pest control services, see Pest Gnome’s list of the 9 Best Pest Control Companies of the year.
Terminix vs. Aptive Environmental: Side-by-Side
| Terminix | Aptive Environmental | |
 |  | |
| Pests Treated | ||
| Ants | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bed bugs | ✓ | ✓ |
| Beetles | ✗ | ✓ |
| Carpenter ants | ✗ | ✗ |
| Centipedes & millipedes | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cockroaches | ✓ | ✓ |
| Crickets | ✓ | ✓ |
| Earwigs | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fleas | ✗ | ✓ |
| Flies | ✗ | ✗ |
| Mites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mosquitoes | ✓ | ✓ |
| Moths | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pantry pests | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rodents (mice, rats, etc) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scorpions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Silverfish | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spiders | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stinging pests (bees, wasps, etc) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Stink bugs | ✗ | ✓ |
| Termites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ticks | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wildlife (raccoons, opossums, etc) | ✓ | ✗ |
| How many states serviced? | 45 (not available in AR, MT, ND, SD, VT) | 30 (Not available in AL, AK, AR, CT, DE, HI, IA, LA, ME, MI, MT, NV, NH, NM, ND, RI, SC, SD, VT, WY) |
| Serves commercial properties? | ✓ | ✗ |
| Service plans offered | ||
| One-time service | ✓ | ✗ |
| Monthly service | ✓ | ✗ |
| Quarterly service | ✓ | ✓ |
| Eco-friendly options? | Only in some cases | ✓ |
| Customer service | ||
| Better Business Bureau rating | A+ | A- |
| Online instant quotes? | ✓ | ✗ |
| Online portal for scheduling, billing, etc? | ✓ | ✓ |
| 24/7 customer support? | ✓ | ✓ |
| Additional services offered | ||
| Attic insulation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Moisture control | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sanitation | Only for commercial properties | ✗ |
| Gutter guards | ✗ | ✗ |
| Lawn treatments for pests, weeds, and diseases | ✗ | ✗ |
When choosing between Terminix and Aptive Environmental, the most important difference to note is the eco-friendly options they offer. Terminix has only limited environmentally conscious services (more information below), but Aptive uses natural pesticides on every job.
In every other respect, though, Terminix has the advantage over Aptive. Terminix has services available in more states and covers more types of pests. Terminix also offers multiple treatment plans, while Aptive has only one plan option.
Another big difference between the two is reputation. Terminix is a titan of the pest control industry with decades of service under its belt. Aptive Environmental is a relative upstart that has grown rapidly thanks to glowing reviews and word-of-mouth.
Terminix’s Highlights
If you suspect termites in your home, Terminix is the company to turn call. Terminix has specialized in termite control for more than 90 years and was the first pest control company ever to hold a patent for termite extermination methods.
Now, Terminix offers a specialty treatment for drywood termites, a less common type of termite that typically appears in tropical climates such as Florida, Hawaii, and Southern California. Other major pest control companies usually offer only generalized termite treatments.
Terminix prevents and exterminates many household pests besides termites, including bed bugs. Natural control options are available only for mosquitoes. Terminix technicians can also humanely remove wildlife, such as raccoons or bats, from your home.
Terminix serves both homes and commercial properties, including but not limited to offices, apartment buildings, food service locations, and medical facilities. Aside from pest control, Terminix installs moisture control barriers for crawlspaces and attic insulation made of 85% recycled materials.
For commercial properties only, Terminix offers EcoControl, an eco-friendly pest control program, and Disinfectix, a sanitation service that eliminates many pathogens, including the virus that causes COVID-19.
Customer support is available round-the-clock for all customers, either over the phone or through online live chat. You can even schedule your pest control treatments at any time, 24/7, so you can always work your visits from Terminix technicians around the rest of your busy life.
FYI: Rentokil is currently in the process of purchasing Terminix, so some things may change in the future.
How to get an instant quote and order service online:
Terminix gives instant quotes on its website for most services, so you can figure out approximately how much the treatment you need would cost for your home.
To get started with your instant quote, click “Prevent a Problem” or “Treat a Problem” at the top of Terminix’s home page. Either one will reveal a dropdown menu of treatments for different pests.
Select the pest that you’re dealing with from the drop-down menu. If you’re looking for a general pest prevention program, select “Pest Control.”
Once you select a service, you’ll see a page telling you all about that service. Keep scrolling until you see a button that says “See Pricing.” Click the button for an instant quote. Whether you click the button underneath “Quarterly Pest Control” or “One-Time Pest Control Service,” you’ll get a quote for both.
Note: You might instead find a button that says “Schedule a Free Inspection.” If that’s the case, instant quotes aren’t available for the pest control service you need. Some treatments – usually those for termites and bed bugs – require a home inspection before a technician can accurately estimate the cost.
After you click “See Pricing,” a screen will pop up asking for your address. Put in your address and click “Continue.” Your price quote for that particular service will appear.
If you decide to order service from Terminix, click the button under the price quote that says “Add to Cart.” If you need multiple services, go through each screen, adding each one to your cart. When you’re done shopping for services, click the cart icon in the top righthand corner of the screen.
Once you’re looking at your cart, you can “Checkout” by adding your billing information and scheduling your first service. Terminix has an online portal for returning customers where you’ll be able to manage your plan and schedule visits in the future.
In the age of telemarketing, you’ll be relieved to know that Terminix doesn’t spam you with texts and calls if you get a quote but decide not to order service.
States Covered:
45; not available in AR, MT, ND, SD, or VT
Pests Covered:
Ants, Bed Bugs, Centipedes and Millipedes, Cockroaches, Crickets, Earwigs, Mosquitoes, Moths, Rodents, Scorpions, Silverfish, Spiders, Termites, Ticks, Wildlife
Pros:
- Specializes in termites
- Appointments available 24/7
- Covers the cost of termite-related damage for customers on a prevention plan
Cons:
- Few eco-friendly options
- Billing can be confusing sometimes
Customer Reviews:
Service Has Been Great: “I’ve been a Terminix customer for 30 years and the quarterly technicians have mostly been great. … My home Terminix person calls me, comes, does her job, and always asks me if I need anything extra.”
Bill Keeps Changing, Which is Weird: “Whoever comes out is always very nice, and since having Terminix, I haven’t seen pest activity in the house at all. The bill keeps changing though, which is weird.”
Haven’t Had Ants Since Calling Terminix: “I like the automatic nature of the service of Terminix. They come and do it on a regular schedule. … I hired Terminix, haven’t had ants since. I’m getting what I’m paying for.”
Aptive Environmental’s Highlights
Aptive Environmental is a newer company specializing in eco-friendly pest control. Instead of more traditional synthetic pesticides, Aptive’s technicians use pyrethrin, a natural pesticide made of extracts from chrysanthemums. Pyrethrin is safer for the environment because it breaks down quickly, so it doesn’t leave behind residue.
Because Aptive uses eco-friendly pyrethrin, its technicians also can treat your garden for pests. For example, Aptive can help you get rid of common outdoor pests such as snails, pill bugs, and aphids without polluting the local ecosystem.
Though it was founded in 2015, Aptive has already built up quite an impressive reputation. It has more than a million customers and has won several awards. It has also earned the title of fastest-growing pest control company in North America.
Perhaps because the company is so new, its services are pretty limited compared to an older, larger company like Terminix. Aptive serves only homeowners at this time, not commercial properties. And there are many common home pests, such as termites and bed bugs, for which Aptive doesn’t offer treatment plans.
Another downside is that Aptive doesn’t give instant quotes on its website. If you want to know how much a service will cost for your home, you can give your contact information online, and a sales representative will contact you shortly. This can be a major downside because a representative will call several times. Some customers have found Aptive’s sales tactics to be a little too aggressive.
States Covered:
30; not available in AL, AK, AR, CT, DE, HI, IA, LA, ME, MI, MT, NV, NH, NM, ND, RI, SC, SD, VT, or WY
Pests Covered:
Ants, Aphids, Cockroaches, Crickets, Earwigs, Fleas, Millipedes, Pantry Pests, Pill Bugs, Rodents, Silverfish, Snails, Spiders, Stinging Insects
Pros:
- EPA-certified environmentally responsible company
- Customer support available 24/7 online and over the phone
- Can treat some lawn and garden pests
- Offers incentive for referring new customers
Cons:
- No termite treatments
- No online instant quotes at this time
- Sales representatives can be too pushy for some people
Customer Reviews:
Effective and Friendly: “This service is very effective and friendly. The tech that performed the service today was fantastic. … She was very friendly, upbeat, and thorough with what needed to be done along with making sure I was comfortable with what was being performed and if I had any concerns. Since we have used Aptive we have had no pest issues.”
Technician Listened to My Concerns: “[The technician] took his time carefully inspecting and treating not only the areas that I had concerns about but also the areas that he believed needed to be treated regarding the information that I had given him. [He] listened to my concerns and gave me educational feedback as well!”
Pet and Environmentally Friendly: “They are pet and environmentally friendly. We have German shepherds, and the techs are always mindful of them, and for their well being. Their people are always friendly, professional, kind, and caring. We’ve used other services, and Aptive is by far a 10.”
Buyers Guide to Choosing a Pest Control Company
When you’re shopping around for a pest control company, these are the most important factors to consider. These factors may also help you choose between Terminix and Aptive Environmental if you still can’t decide.
Your Location
Even large companies like Terminix don’t have providers everywhere, and smaller companies like Aptive have even fewer service areas. So, the first thing you have to do is check whether a company serves your home or business’s location.
Keep in mind, even if the company serves your state, it may not have a branch in your specific town or subdivision. The easiest way to find out if a company covers your area is to go to the website and put in your address. That will tell you right away if the company is an option for where you live or not.
Pests Covered
If you’re dealing with a specific pest problem, you need to know that the company you want to hire offers treatments for the pest you have. In this case, Terminix covers more pests than Aptive – but there are still some pests Aptive covers that Terminix doesn’t.
These pests are covered by Terminix but not covered by Aptive Environmental:
- Bed bugs
- Mosquitoes
- Moths
- Scorpions
- Termites
- Ticks
- Wildlife (raccoons, opossums, bats, etc)
On the other hand, the following pests are covered by Aptive Environmental but are not covered by Terminix:
- Fleas
- Pantry pests (such as grain beetles, flour beetles, Indian meal moths, and other pests that infest stored foods)
- Stinging pests (bees, wasps, etc)
Eco-Friendly Options
If you want to minimize the environmental impact of your pest control, compare the eco-friendly options that each company offers. In the case of Terminix vs. Aptive Environmental, this one is a no-brainer.
Aptive is known for its eco-friendly, pet-friendly pest control treatments. As we already covered, Aptive uses naturally derived pesticides to minimize pollution and the risk of harming non-target organisms (such as pets, honeybees, or butterflies).
Terminix offers an EcoControl program that uses more environmentally conscious options than traditional pest control, but it’s available only for commercial properties. Terminix also has natural treatments for mosquitoes.
Customer Testimonials
Before letting a contractor into your home, you should always look at customer reviews – and not just reviews of Terminix or Aptive in general, but of your area’s specific branch. You can find unbiased reviews on third-party review sites such as Yelp, Nextdoor, or the Better Business Bureau.
Cost
Of course, you also want to look at the relative cost of each company. If two companies offer the same service at the same level of quality but one is less expensive, the cost could easily make your decision for you.
The cost of pest control varies a lot depending on where you live, the size of your home, and the type of treatment, so it’s hard to compare prices without getting a customized quote.
For a ballpark comparison, though, our quote from Terminix shows that a general pest prevention plan would cost about $99 per quarter, which comes out to $396 per year. Online sources report that Aptive’s quarterly plan costs about $560 to $620 per year. Based on these numbers, it seems that Terminix is the cheaper option.
FAQ About Pest Control
Is DIY pest control safe?
In many cases, yes, DIY pest control is a perfectly safe and viable option. You may be able to get rid of pests such as ants, cockroaches, or spiders with sprays from the store, home remedies, or baits and traps.
You should always call a pro, though, for pests inside the structure of your home, especially wood-boring pests such as termites and carpenter ants. A pest control pro can wipe out those pests completely before they cause lasting damage. You’re also better off calling a pro for bed bugs and wildlife removal.
How much do pest control companies charge?
Most pest control services cost about $30 to $50 per month for an annual plan or $200 to $300 for one-time service. You may end up spending a lot more than this typical range if you have a large home or a pest that’s difficult to get rid of, such as termites or bed bugs.
DIY Pest Control
Want to try your own hand at getting rid of pests before calling in the big guns (and shelling out the big bucks)? Pest Gnome can help. Check out our Pest Control page for lots of DIY pest control advice, such as:
When you’ve tried all our tips and your pests still won’t quit, use this comparison to help you figure out who you should call for help: Terminix or Aptive Environmental.
Pest Gnome participates in Terminix’s affiliate program and may earn revenue from connecting you to Terminix for pest control.
Main Photo Credit: JCHaywire / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
