Quick answer: a private rat or mouse treatment in the UK typically costs £120–£240 for two visits, and a wasp nest £75–£200 (Checkatrade, checked September 2026). Council fees we read ranged from free for rats in some areas to £58–£267 elsewhere, and bed bugs cost the most, from about £148 with a council to £1,000 or more for a private heat treatment.
Pest control cost checker
Pick a country and a pest to see the typical price range published by councils and cost surveys. It is a guide, not a quote.
Prices change and depend on the size of the job, the property, access and location. Figures were last checked . Always get a written quote before work starts.
Request a free quoteThere are two price systems in the UK. Private firms set their own prices, and trade price surveys give a reasonable guide to the going rate. Councils publish fixed fees, usually updated each April, and many offer discounts to residents on means-tested benefits. The tables below show both. Every figure comes from a named source, checked in September 2026. Where we could not find a source for a pest, we have left it out rather than guess.
Private pest control prices by pest
These are the reported typical ranges from Checkatrade’s UK pest control cost guide (last updated April 2026). They are national figures, so expect the top of the range in central London and the lower end in many other areas.
| Pest | Typical range | What the price covers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rats or mice | £120–£240 | Two visits | Checkatrade cost guide, checked September 2026 |
| Wasps | £75–£200 | One nest | Checkatrade cost guide, checked September 2026 |
| Bed bugs (insecticide) | £100–£280 | Per property | Checkatrade cost guide, checked September 2026 |
| Bed bugs (heat plus insecticide) | £1,000–£1,500 | Up to 3 bedrooms | Checkatrade cost guide, checked September 2026 |
| Cockroaches | £120–£260 | Two visits | Checkatrade cost guide, checked September 2026 |
| Ants | £100–£230 | Per treatment | Checkatrade cost guide, checked September 2026 |
| Fleas | £80–£220 | Per property | Checkatrade cost guide, checked September 2026 |
| Moths | £150–£2,000 | Per treatment | Checkatrade cost guide, checked September 2026 |
| Squirrels | £100–£300 | Two visits | Checkatrade cost guide, checked September 2026 |
Checkatrade also gives around £230 a day as a typical day rate for a pest control specialist. Proofing, such as blocking holes and fitting mesh over vents, is not included in these figures.
Council pest control fees by pest
We read the published fee pages of 14 councils: 11 London boroughs (Camden, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth and Westminster), plus Leeds, Manchester and Glasgow. The range column runs from the cheapest to the dearest standard residential fee, including VAT, before any benefit discount. Greenwich and Westminster only treat for their own tenants and leaseholders, so they have no public fee.
| Pest | Council fee range | Fees we found (standard rate) |
|---|---|---|
| Rats | £58–£267 | Manchester £58 (up to 3 visits); Lewisham £150; Leeds £160; Camden £177.60; Hackney £186.26; Lambeth £189.60; Haringey £191; Wandsworth £214; Southwark £267.12 plus inspection. Free inside homes in Tower Hamlets and Newham, and in Glasgow |
| Mice | £101–£267 | Manchester £101; Tower Hamlets £146.40; Lewisham £150; Camden from £151.38; Leeds £160; Hackney £186.26; Lambeth £189.60; Haringey £191; Wandsworth £214; Southwark £267.12 plus inspection. Free in Glasgow |
| Wasps | £76–£132 | Leeds £76; Tower Hamlets £81; Manchester £84; Wandsworth £86; Camden £86.75–£132 by size of home; Lewisham £88; Southwark £89.16; Haringey £99.65; Hackney £102.48; Glasgow £116.50 |
| Bed bugs | £148–£428 | Manchester from £148; Lewisham £186; Hackney £186.26; Leeds £190; Tower Hamlets £213.60 (3 rooms); Wandsworth £237.91–£428.24 by bedrooms; Lambeth £260.40; Camden from £283.52; Haringey £360 |
| Cockroaches | £120–£285 | Manchester £120; Tower Hamlets £146.40; Hackney £167.59; Lewisham £186; Lambeth £189.60; Leeds £190; Camden £193.65; Wandsworth £214; Haringey £285 |
| Ants | £76–£292 | Leeds £76 (garden ants); Tower Hamlets £81 (garden ants); Manchester £82; Lewisham £150 (garden) or £186 (pharaoh); Hackney £167.59 (pharaoh); Camden £171.84; Lambeth £189.60; Wandsworth £214 (tropical); Haringey £292 (pharaoh) |
| Fleas | £81–£380 | Tower Hamlets £81 per visit; Manchester £109; Leeds £115; Wandsworth £133.23–£285.49 by bedrooms; Lewisham £150; Hackney £186.26; Lambeth £189.60; Camden £219.56–£379.56 by bedrooms; Haringey £255 |
| Moths or carpet beetles | £76–£428 | Leeds £76; Manchester (beetles) £101; Lewisham £150; Camden clothes moths £172.22–£375.97; Lambeth £189.60; Haringey £199; Wandsworth £237.91–£428.24 |
| Squirrels | £140–£222 | Leeds £140; Manchester £185; Lambeth £189.60; Haringey £199; Wandsworth £214; Lewisham £222 |
Two caveats. Newham publishes its fees “from” and excluding VAT (for example mice from £225, cockroaches from £195, bed bugs from £305, wasps from £60), so we have left it out of the ranges. Southwark charges an inspection fee of £89.16 on top of the treatment, and prices by category rather than by pest (rodents £267.12, insects £178.08, biting insects £296.88, wasps £89.16), so we have only used its rodent and wasp fees above.
What pushes the price up
- Number of visits. Rodent and cockroach treatments usually need several visits. Check whether the price covers all of them. Leeds, for example, includes every visit needed to clear the current problem for most pests, while other councils cap it at two or three.
- Size of the home. Camden and Wandsworth price bed bugs, fleas and moths by the number of bedrooms. Haringey adds £60 per extra bedroom for bed bugs.
- Heat treatment. Private heat treatment for bed bugs costs several times more than an insecticide treatment.
- Houses in multiple occupation. Manchester classes HMOs as commercial and prices them separately. Glasgow’s service does not cover HMOs.
- Wasted visits. Camden charges £20 if an officer attends and no treatment is needed, Hackney charges £31 for cancelling with less than 24 hours’ notice, and Haringey deducts a £25 administration fee when it refunds a cancelled booking.
Free and discounted services
Free treatment still exists, but it is narrower than it used to be. From the pages we read:
- Tower Hamlets and Newham treat rats inside residents’ homes free. Glasgow treats rats and mice at domestic properties at no charge.
- Leeds treats rats free for Housing Leeds tenants. Camden, Southwark, Greenwich and Newham offer free treatments to their own council tenants for some or most pests.
- Haringey, Lewisham, Southwark and Wandsworth offer concession rates, roughly half price, to residents on qualifying benefits. Lewisham treats rats free on its concession rate.
- Birmingham now treats rats only. Its rat charge (£26.40 in 2025) was suspended during the bin strike, and a rise to £27.60 was planned for when payments resume (Express & Star, February 2026).
If you rent, the landlord may have to pay, depending on the cause. See our guide to pests in a rented home. For more on how callouts and follow-ups are priced, read pest control costs: callouts, follow-up visits and quote comparison.
Get quotes to compare
A council fee is a useful benchmark. If your council does not cover your pest, or you want a faster appointment, compare two or three written quotes against it.
Request a pest control quote
Free and no obligation. Tell us what you are dealing with and where, and we will look for a local pest controller who covers your area.
Is council pest control cheaper than a private firm?
Often, but not always. Manchester charges £58 for a rat course of up to three visits, while Southwark charges £267.12 plus an £89.16 inspection, which is above the typical private range. Check your own council’s fee page first.
Why do bed bugs cost so much more?
Bed bug treatments usually need more than one visit and careful preparation of every affected room. Councils price them per room or bedroom, and private heat treatments cost £1,000–£1,500 for up to three bedrooms (Checkatrade).
Do councils still treat wasps?
Many do, for a fee: £76 in Leeds, £84 in Manchester, £116.50 in Glasgow (June to September only). Birmingham has stopped. Councils do not treat bees.
Do I pay VAT on council pest control?
Most councils publish prices including VAT. Newham publishes prices excluding VAT, so check the small print.
Can I get help paying?
Several councils offer concession rates to residents on means-tested benefits. In Scotland, Shelter Scotland points to crisis grants and charitable grants for people who cannot afford pest control.
Sources
- Pest Control Costs in the UK (2026 Price Guide) (checkatrade.com)
- Pest control (leeds.gov.uk)
- Our treatment charges (manchester.gov.uk)
- Report a Pest Control Problem (glasgow.gov.uk)
- Environmental Protection and Public Health: Book of Charges 2026/27 (glasgow.gov.uk)
- Pest control (camden.gov.uk)
- Pest control (hackney.gov.uk)
- Pest control fees (haringey.gov.uk)
- Pest control services: prices (lambeth.gov.uk)
- Pest control (lewisham.gov.uk)
- Pest control: charges (newham.gov.uk)
- Pest control cost (southwark.gov.uk)
- Book a pest control visit (towerhamlets.gov.uk)
- Pest control (wandsworth.gov.uk)
- Pest control (westminster.gov.uk)
- Get help with a pest problem (royalgreenwich.gov.uk)
- Request pest control for an issue with rats at home (birmingham.gov.uk)
- Birmingham’s divisive rat tax charge set to rise again (expressandstar.com)
- Dealing with pests, vermin or infestations in your home (scotland.shelter.org.uk)
Last checked: September 2026. Council fees change, usually each April, so confirm the current price when you book.
Best Pest Control Quotes is a comparison and referral service, not a pest control company. We do not carry out treatments, and a listing here is not a recommendation.