How do you choose a pest control company in Singapore?

Pest control in Singapore: who may do it

Under the Control of Vectors and Pesticides Act, only licensed Vector Control Operators (VCOs) may advertise or provide vector control services. The National Environment Agency (NEA) names the vectors as mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches, rats and rat fleas, and the rule applies wherever the service is carried out. These services use pesticide products, and many of them are classified as Restricted Use, which only trained and licensed personnel should handle. NEA sets all of this out in its circular on licensing for vector control services.

So when you book treatment for cockroaches, rats or mosquitoes, check the licence first, before you compare quotes, agree a date or let anyone spray inside your home. Keep the company's name and licence details with your quote.

Check the company before you book

NEA's VCO page advises the public to buy vector control services, such as cockroach treatment, from licensed operators, whatever kind of business provides them. Its circular breaks that down into four checks. A licensed pest control company should be able to pass all four before anyone arrives with equipment.

1. Look up the licence. Verify on NEA's website that the company holds a valid VCO licence, as NEA's circular advises. Do this before you book a visit.
2. Ask to see the licence details. Ask the company to show you its licence details before you engage it. Check that the name matches the company on your quote.
3. Check the people handling pesticides. The staff who handle the pesticides should hold valid Vector Control Technician (VCT) or Vector Control Worker (VCW) licences. Ask who will come and which licence each person holds.
4. Check the products. Ask which products will be used, and make sure they carry the NEA registration mark, as the circular advises.

If a company will not show you its licences or keeps avoiding the question, book someone else. Our guide to home service scams covers other warning signs to watch for when you hire for work at home.

Cleaners and car detailers offering cockroach treatment

The licence follows the service, not the type of business. NEA's circular says the rule applies to car detailing companies, cleaning services and any other business advertising cockroach treatment or similar vector control services. Whatever else such a business can show you, the cockroach treatment itself needs a valid VCO licence.

So if a cleaning company offers to treat cockroaches as part of a deep clean or move-out clean, ask for its VCO licence before you agree. Then run the same checks as for any pest control firm: the licence itself, the licences of the staff who will handle the pesticides and the registration mark on the products.

For the cleaning side of the job, our cleaning licence check guide explains what to look for when you hire cleaners.

What a VCO should give you

NEA's VCO page sets out the operator's side of the job. A VCO may start work only after it is registered, it must use licensed or certified technicians and workers, and it should give the client a comprehensive service report and recommendations at agreed intervals. If the job runs over several visits, ask whether you will get a report after each one.

The products matter as much as the people. NEA's page on registering public health pesticides and repellents says pesticide and repellent products used against mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches, rats and rat fleas must be registered before they are sold, supplied or advertised in Singapore. Ask the company to name the products it plans to use, so you can check them before treatment starts.

Pest control cost in Singapore

For published one-off and contract rates from named companies, see the pest control cost guide. Price depends on the job. Ask each company for a written quote for the same scope: the pests and areas covered, the number of visits and how often you will get a service report. Check the licence before you compare quotes.

For a specific pest, see the guides on bed bugs, termites and rats in the home, or the pest control FAQ.

Before you call anyone

A little groundwork makes the visit more useful and the quotes easier to compare.

• Cut down what draws cockroaches in. Our guide on how to get rid of cockroaches covers cleaning habits that help keep them out.
• Stop mosquitoes breeding at home. Learn how to prevent mosquito breeding so new breeding spots do not undo the treatment.
• Plan the clean-up. If you want the home disinfected after treatment, see our home disinfection page, and ask the pest control company how soon the treated areas can be cleaned.
• Check you need pest control at all. If you are unsure which trade fits the problem, find the right service before you call.

Questions