Owning a home on a wooded Back Mountain lot or a cottage at Harveys Lake should not mean carpenter ants in the deck, mice in the garage every fall, or bats overhead in the attic. Trees, shade, and shoreline are why you live here. They are also why pests do.
Whether you need carpenter ants traced back to the damp wood they are hollowing out, a bat colony excluded on the right schedule, ticks knocked down before a lake weekend, or year-round protection you do not have to think about, The Pest Rangers sends technicians to Dallas, Shavertown, Trucksville, Harveys Lake, and Lehman from its Hanover Township office about 10 miles down Route 309. Same-day and emergency appointments are available when the schedule allows, and Home Protection Plans start at $45 per month with no-charge return visits between scheduled treatments.
You also get a team that knows the Back Mountain. The company has worked the Wyoming Valley and the plateau above it since 2008, its Operations Manager lives in Dallas, every applicator holds Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture certification, and the company carries QualityPro accreditation from the National Pest Management Association. This page covers Dallas, Pennsylvania, the Back Mountain community in Luzerne County, and not Dallas, Texas.
Dallas, PA Service Facts at a Glance
| Local Service Detail | Verified Information |
|---|---|
| Primary service | Residential and commercial pest control for wooded, lakefront, and seasonal properties |
| Service area | Dallas Borough and Dallas Township (ZIP 18612), Shavertown, Trucksville, Kingston Township, Harveys Lake, Lehman, Lake, Franklin, and Jackson townships, and outlying areas such as Sweet Valley |
| Common local need | Carpenter ants and termites in damp or shaded wood; mice in fall; ticks on wooded edges; mosquitoes at Harveys Lake, Toby Creek, and Frances Slocum Lake; bats in attics; wasps and hornets; spotted lanternfly |
| Typical response time | Same-day and emergency appointments when the schedule allows; office roughly 10 miles away via Route 309 |
| Service frequency | Protection plans visit every 4 months; seasonal lake homes can add opening and closing visits; one-time jobs by inspection |
| Pricing approach | Plans from $45/month; carpenter ant, termite, wildlife, and commercial work quoted after a free inspection |
| Permit or compliance issue | Dallas Township rental units must pass inspection every 24 months, including an infestation standard; Luzerne County is in the spotted lanternfly quarantine; bat exclusions follow Game Commission timing |
| Warranty or guarantee | Covered pests that return between plan visits are re-treated free; last regular service payment refunded if a covered problem cannot be resolved |
| Scheduling | Use the scheduling button on this page or the website’s instant quote tool |
What Pest Control Looks Like on a Back Mountain Property
The Back Mountain grew as a suburban and second-home plateau northwest of the Wyoming Valley, so the typical job here is a single-family house on a wooded lot, not a row home on a city block. That changes what a technician looks for and where the work happens.
- Wooded lots in Dallas Township, Shavertown, and Lehman: Tree canopy keeps foundations shaded and damp, stumps and buried construction debris feed termite colonies, and overhanging limbs give bats and other wildlife a path to the roofline. Carpenter ants are the headline pest. Penn State Extension notes they excavate moist, decaying wood, which describes a lot of shaded decks and leaking sills.
- Lakefront and seasonal homes at Harveys Lake and Lake Silkworth: Houses that sit empty for stretches give mice, cluster flies, and wasps a head start, and shoreline mosquitoes and ticks peak exactly when the house is in use. Opening and closing visits are built around that calendar.
- Campus-area rentals and the Route 309 corridor: Rental housing near Misericordia University carries the bed bug and cockroach risk that comes with tenant turnover, and the restaurants, schools, and healthcare offices along Route 309 need documented programs for inspectors and auditors. Commercial pest control covers those accounts.
What the company will not do is trap and relocate bats or other rabies-vector wildlife, which Pennsylvania prohibits, or exclude a bat colony in midsummer while pups cannot fly. Those jobs are planned in summer and finished in fall.
Pest Control Services for Dallas, PA Homes and Businesses
Carpenter Ant and Termite Protection for Wooded Lots
Both pests follow moisture. Ant control tracks carpenter ant trails back to parent and satellite nests in damp framing, treats them, and flags the leak or grading problem that drew them in. For subterranean termites, termite control ranges from Sentricon colony-elimination stations to liquid barriers and pre-construction treatment for new builds on freshly cleared lots, and the Premier plan keeps an active termite protection system in place year-round.
Tick and Mosquito Barrier Treatments for Lake and Creek Properties
Pennsylvania logged the second-highest Lyme disease case count in the country in 2023, and the Back Mountain’s wooded edges, Toby Creek corridor, and lake shorelines are prime blacklegged tick habitat. Mosquito and tick plans apply barrier treatments monthly from April through October, the same window the Luzerne Conservation District traps and tests mosquitoes for West Nile virus, with single event sprays available for lake weekends.
Rodent Exclusion for Year-Round and Seasonal Homes
Cooler Back Mountain nights send mice indoors earlier than in the valley, through garage-door gaps, foundation cracks, and utility penetrations. Rodent control pairs trapping with sealing those openings so a lake house closed for the winter is not reopened to a nest in spring.
Bat Exclusion Timed to State Guidance
Bat exclusion closes attic entry points on older lake cottages and tree-shaded homes after the colony departs in fall, following the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s advice to avoid summer exclusions during maternity season.
Wasp, Hornet, and Yellowjacket Control
Decks, eaves, and ground nests on wooded lots make late-summer stinging insects a Back Mountain staple. Stinging insect control removes active nests and is covered under the Home Protection Plan warranty, which names bees and wasps specifically.
Year-Round Home Protection Plans
The Home Protection Plan lineup protects against more than 40 pests with a visit every 4 months and termite monitoring. Plus+ adds bed bug coverage and Premier adds the active termite protection system. For a wooded Back Mountain lot, Premier is the usual match.
Bed Bug Treatment for Campus-Area Rentals
When a tenant near Misericordia reports bites, a technician inspects the unit and the rooms that share walls with it, and heat remediation resolves a confirmed infestation in a single treatment rather than a weeks-long chemical program.
How the Back Mountain’s Elevation, Woods, and Lakes Change the Pest Calendar
Dallas Borough sits at about 1,243 feet, roughly 700 feet above the Wyoming Valley floor, and the region averages about 45 inches of snow a year. Spring arrives later, fall arrives earlier, and the pest calendar shifts with it. The table below is how The Pest Rangers plans Back Mountain work through the year.
| Season | What Shows Up in the Back Mountain | What the Service Response Looks Like |
|---|---|---|
| Late winter to early summer (February to June) | Subterranean termite swarmers emerge in this window across Pennsylvania (Penn State Extension), often later here than in the valley; carpenter ant swarmers follow in spring | Termite inspections and monitoring checks; carpenter ant nest tracing in damp decks, sills, and rim joists |
| Spring through fall (April to October) | Mosquito season at Harveys Lake, Frances Slocum Lake, and along Toby Creek, matching the Luzerne Conservation District’s surveillance season; ticks active on wooded edges | Monthly barrier treatments; yard-edge and trail-side tick applications; event sprays for lake gatherings |
| Summer (June to August) | Bat maternity colonies occupy attics; wasps and hornets build to peak nest size in late summer; lanternfly nymphs and adults feed on maples and walnuts | Bat inspections and exclusion planning (no exclusions until fall); nest removal; lanternfly treatment on host trees and decks |
| Fall (September to November) | Mice move indoors as nights cool; stink bugs and lady beetles gather on sunny siding looking for overwintering sites; lake homes close for the season | Exclusion and trapping; perimeter treatment before the first hard frost; closing visits for seasonal properties; bat exclusions once colonies leave |
| Winter (December to February) | Rodents already inside stay active; freeze-thaw cycles open new foundation cracks | Interior rodent follow-up; plan visits continue every 4 months; termite stations checked |
Water is the other constant. Harveys Lake is Pennsylvania’s largest natural lake by volume, Frances Slocum State Park holds a 165-acre lake in Kingston Township, and Toby Creek runs from Dallas Township down through Trucksville toward the valley.
Damp ground near all three supports both mosquito breeding and the soil moisture termite colonies depend on. Penn State Extension’s guidance on eastern subterranean termites and the Luzerne Conservation District’s mosquito-borne disease program are the sources behind the calendar above. Spotted lanternfly pressure is high on the Back Mountain’s maples and black walnut. Luzerne County has been inside the state quarantine since March 2020, and the company’s Aug-Sept lanternfly guide covers what to do when you find them.
What a Back Mountain Inspection Covers
A Back Mountain inspection works from the tree line inward, because most problems on these lots start outside. Here is the order a technician follows and what you can do to prepare.
- Yard and tree line: Stumps, woodpiles, leaf litter, and limbs touching the roof are noted as termite, carpenter ant, tick, and wildlife pathways. Move firewood off the foundation before the visit if you can.
- Foundation and grade: Soil contact with siding, mulch against the sill, downspout discharge, and any cracks from freeze-thaw movement are checked and photographed.
- Decks, porches, and outbuildings: Shaded deck framing, porch posts, sheds, and detached garages are probed for carpenter ant galleries and wasp nests.
- Roofline and attic: Soffits, gable vents, ridge gaps, and chimney flashing are inspected for bat and rodent entry. Clear the attic hatch so the technician can get in.
- Basement, crawl space, and interior: Moisture readings on sill plates and rim joists, rodent sign along walls, and plumbing penetrations round out the walk-through.
- Written findings and quote: You get a written scope the same visit. It lists what was found, what will be treated, what exclusion or repair is recommended, and the price. Lot size, tree cover, and roof access are what move the number.
- Treatment, report, and return visits: Work follows integrated pest management practice, meaning targeted products plus exclusion and moisture correction, and ends with a service report. Plan customers are revisited every 4 months and re-treated free in between if a covered pest returns. If a covered problem cannot be resolved, the guarantee refunds the last regular service payment.
Most inspections are free. NPMA-33 real estate reports and bed bug inspections carry their own pricing.
How Much Does Pest Control Cost in Dallas, PA?
Published plan pricing is the same across the company’s service area. What changes on the Back Mountain is which tier fits and what drives a one-time quote. Lot size, tree cover, roofline access, and whether a house is occupied year-round matter more here than square footage.
| Back Mountain Scenario | Published Starting Price | What Moves the Price |
|---|---|---|
| Year-round home on a wooded lot (Premier plan with active termite protection) | $75/month | Number of termite stations for the lot perimeter; home size; outbuildings added to coverage |
| Owner-occupied home wanting bed bug coverage (Plus+) | $55/month | Single-family primary residences only; home size |
| Standard year-round coverage for 40+ pests (Home Protection Plan) | $45/month | Home size and construction; termite monitoring included |
| Seasonal lake home with opening and closing visits | Quoted after inspection | Months occupied; shoreline mosquito and tick coverage; off-season rodent exclusion |
| One-time carpenter ant, termite, or bat exclusion job | Quoted after inspection | Extent of damp wood, colony count, roofline complexity, and timing (bat work waits for fall) |
| Whole-structure bed bug heat remediation | From $1,500 | Square footage of the structure and how far the infestation has spread |
Starting prices are the company’s published figures as of October 2026 and may change. Financing is offered on larger jobs.
Rules That Apply in Dallas, Dallas Township, and the Back Mountain
- Dallas Township rental inspections: The township’s Rental Inspection Ordinance (Ordinance 2016-1, amended in 2020) bars occupancy of a rental unit until it passes inspection and receives a certificate of occupancy, with re-inspection every 24 months and a minimum building standard covering infestation and rodent harborage. The township also adopted the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code in 2023. Nothing comparable was identified for Dallas Borough or Kingston Township.
- Spotted lanternfly quarantine: Luzerne County has been in the state quarantine since March 2020. Businesses moving vehicles, equipment, or goods through the zone need a Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture permit, and homeowners should inspect vehicles and outdoor gear for egg masses before leaving the area.
- Wildlife: The Pennsylvania Game Commission does not allow rabies-vector species such as bats to be trapped and relocated, and advises against attic exclusions in summer while maternity colonies are present.
- Who may apply pesticides: Commercial applicators in Pennsylvania are certified by the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Plant Industry under the Pesticide Control Act of 1973, passing core and category exams and keeping up recertification credits. No homeowner permit is needed to hire a company, and no municipal pesticide permit was found for Dallas Borough, Dallas Township, or Kingston Township.
- Selling a Back Mountain home: Sellers must disclose any known termite or wood-destroying insect damage under state law, and lenders on FHA and VA loans typically want an NPMA-33 inspection report before closing, a frequent request in the Back Mountain’s single-family market.
- Sewer, septic, and wells: The Dallas Area Municipal Authority serves Dallas Borough, Dallas Township, and Kingston Township with public sewer and extends service by agreement to Harveys Lake, Lehman, and Jackson townships. Many properties in Lake, Ross, and Franklin townships use on-lot septic systems, so drain fields and well heads are mapped before any exterior termite or liquid treatment. This is general information, not legal advice.
Where We Work in the Back Mountain
Dallas Borough and Dallas Township share ZIP code 18612 and the Route 309 and Route 415 corridors, with service covering the streets around Misericordia University and Dallas High School, Country Club Road, Memorial Highway, and Lake Street. Dallas Township also holds most of the university campus and is the township with the active rental inspection ordinance described above.
Kingston Township’s villages of Shavertown and Trucksville sit along Route 309 on the way up from the valley, with Toby Creek and Frances Slocum State Park inside the township line. These are the heaviest carpenter ant, mosquito, and tick areas. Harveys Lake Borough and Lake Silkworth in Lehman Township bring lakefront and seasonal-home work. Lake, Franklin, and Jackson townships and outlying communities such as Sweet Valley in Ross Township are served as well, as is the Luzerne County Fairgrounds area on Route 118 in Lehman Township.
Down the mountain, the same office handles Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, and the Wyoming Valley, and the rest of the county is covered on the Luzerne County page, with dedicated pages for Mountain Top and Hazleton.
Why Dallas Customers Choose The Pest Rangers
- An office 10 miles away, not a call center: Scheduling and dispatch run from the Hanover Township office that has served the Back Mountain since the company’s founding in June 2008.
- Credentials that are checkable: QualityPro accreditation from the National Pest Management Association, Department of Agriculture certification for every technician, and a president, Jeff King, who leads the Pennsylvania Pest Management Association and sits on the NPMA board.
- Built for wooded lots: Authorized Sentricon installations, Active Termite Protection through the Premier plan, bat exclusion timed to state guidance, and a stinging-insect warranty written into the Home Protection Plan.
- A guarantee with a refund clause: Free re-treatment between plan visits, and the last regular service payment refunded if a covered problem is not resolved. Details are on the guarantee page.
Recent Client Reviews
“Awesome experience as I needed a last-minute pest evaluation and corrective action for the sale of my home.”
- Cheryl A.
“She helped get someone out to my house the same day to take care of our bee problem.”
- Bryce S.
“He was very knowledgeable, took the time to explain everything, and did not rush through the process.”
- Laura W.
“Ben is the technician sent to our home – very thorough and knowledgeable.”
- Edward M.
Contact The Pest Rangers for Pest Control in Dallas, PA
| Business Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Business name | The Pest Rangers |
| Business type | Physical office (Hanover Township) serving Dallas and the Back Mountain |
| Public address | 2601 S. Main St., Hanover Township, PA 18706 |
| Phone | (570) 826-1114 |
| Contact | |
| Hours | 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday – Friday; 8 a.m. – Noon Saturday; Closed on Sundays. |
| Appointment requirements | Free inspection for most services; NPMA-33 reports and bed bug inspections priced separately; book through the scheduling button or the online quote tool |
| Emergency availability | Same-day and emergency appointments when the schedule allows |
| Primary service area | Dallas, PA and the Back Mountain, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania |
| Additional areas served | Shavertown, Trucksville, Kingston Township, Harveys Lake, Lehman Township, Lake Township, Franklin Township, Jackson Township, Sweet Valley, Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, and Mountain Top |
| Website | https://thepestrangers.com/ |
| Google Business Profile | GBP Link |
FAQs
Is this page about Dallas, Pennsylvania or Dallas, Texas?
Dallas, Pennsylvania. The Pest Rangers serves Dallas Borough and Dallas Township in Luzerne County’s Back Mountain, together with Shavertown, Trucksville, Harveys Lake, Lehman, and the surrounding townships. The company has no operations in Texas.
Which pests cause the most trouble on Back Mountain properties?
Carpenter ants and subterranean termites lead on wooded lots, followed by mice that move indoors in fall, blacklegged ticks along leaf-littered edges, mosquitoes near Harveys Lake, Toby Creek, and Frances Slocum Lake, bat colonies in attics, and late-summer wasps and hornets. Stink bugs and spotted lanternflies round out the list. Bed bugs and cockroaches are mostly a rental-housing issue near Misericordia University.
Does Dallas Township require rental units to pass a pest-related inspection?
Yes. Under Dallas Township’s Rental Inspection Ordinance, a residential unit cannot be rented until it passes an inspection and receives a certificate of occupancy, and it must be re-inspected every 24 months. The township’s minimum standards include a building requirement for infestation and rodent harborage. No comparable pest-related rental ordinance was identified for Dallas Borough or Kingston Township.
Is Dallas, PA inside the spotted lanternfly quarantine?
Yes. Luzerne County has been part of Pennsylvania’s spotted lanternfly quarantine since March 2020. Homeowners are asked to inspect vehicles, firewood, and outdoor furniture for egg masses before traveling, and any business moving goods through the quarantine needs a state permit. The Pest Rangers treats lanternfly activity on trees, decks, and siding across the Back Mountain.
When should I expect termite swarmers at a Back Mountain home?
Penn State Extension puts the eastern subterranean termite swarm season at February through June in Pennsylvania. At Dallas’s roughly 1,240-foot elevation, where spring arrives later than on the valley floor, swarms often show up toward the back half of that window. Watch for piles of shed wings on sills and pencil-thin mud tubes on foundation walls or deck posts.
What does pest control cost for a wooded lot in Dallas, PA?
Year-round coverage starts at $45 per month for the Home Protection Plan, $55 per month for Plus+ with bed bug coverage, and $75 per month for Premier, which adds an active termite protection system and is the tier most wooded, single-family Back Mountain homes are matched to. One-time carpenter ant work, bat exclusion, and termite treatment are quoted after a free inspection, and lot size, tree cover, and roofline access are the main variables.
Can you remove bats from my attic in July?
Not responsibly. The Pennsylvania Game Commission advises against summer exclusions because maternity colonies are raising flightless pups in attics, and the state prohibits trapping and relocating bats as a rabies-vector species. The Pest Rangers inspects and plans in summer, then completes the exclusion in fall after the colony leaves for hibernation.
Do you handle seasonal homes at Harveys Lake and Lake Silkworth?
Yes. Lake homes that sit empty for weeks are covered, including opening and closing visits that deal with mice, cluster flies, and wasps before and after the season, plus mosquito and tick barrier treatments during the summer months when the house is in use.
How far is the Dallas service area from The Pest Rangers’ office?
About 10 miles. The office at 2601 S. Main St. in Hanover Township connects to Dallas by Route 309 through Kingston and Trucksville. Same-day and emergency appointments are available when the schedule allows, so use the scheduling button on this page to request the earliest opening.
