Mosquito Control on Hilton Head Island, SC

County spraying

Hilton Head Island is in Beaufort County, and Beaufort County Mosquito Control sprays it by truck and aircraft. Request service or ask a question at (843) 255-5800, Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Spray map

The county posts tentative treatment areas on a map by 4 p.m. each work day, Monday to Friday. It does not guarantee that a spray will happen as planned, so it is not a schedule for a party.

Aircraft

County planes and helicopters fly under 250 feet. You can sign up for aerial spray notifications, and bee keepers can register hives so the county leaves a buffer.

Breeding water

More than 70% of Beaufort County is waterways: marshes, rivers and the Intracoastal Waterway. The county finds 53 species of mosquito.

West Nile on the island

In July 2017 the state health department confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus on Hilton Head Island, and the county says avoiding bites and removing breeding water is the main protection.

Where the offices are

Four of the five companies below are on the island: Massey Services, Hilton Head Exterminators and Arrow Exterminators within about 3 miles of Shelter Cove, and Pinnacle Pest Solutions at Coligny. Mosquito Joe works from Savannah and lists the island among its towns.

Yes. Beaufort County Mosquito Control, in business since 1974, runs ground and aerial spraying across the county, including Hilton Head Island, and watches mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile and Eastern equine encephalitis. To request service, use the request form on the county’s mosquito control page or call (843) 255-5800. The county also takes mosquito reports through its free Beaufort County Connect app. For the county’s other services, see Beaufort County.

The county posts its planned treatment areas day by day and cannot guarantee them, so you cannot plan an event around it, and it does not treat your own yard. A company on this page treats your property on a plan you choose. If you keep honey bees, fill out the county’s beehive registration form so the county knows where your hives are.

Mosquito companies in this area describe a season of approximately March through November, with the length depending on shade, harborage in the yard and the weather. Mosquitoes become active at around 55 degrees, so a mild winter day can bring them back. See Hilton Head weather for the month-by-month picture.

The county says mosquitoes bite most about an hour before and after dawn and dusk, which is also when island evenings on the deck, the beach walk and the golf course are at their best. Residents of Hilton Head Plantation, Sea Pines and Palmetto Dunes live beside marsh, lagoons and woods, so check with your community’s management about its own treatment before you hire a company.

A female mosquito needs only about a tablespoon of water to lay eggs. Empty plant saucers, buckets, kids’ toys and wheelbarrows after every storm, change pet bowls daily and birdbaths weekly, and keep gutters flowing: Massey Services says one clogged gutter, birdbath or potted plant tray can support hundreds of larvae in a few days. For gutters, see gutter cleaning on Hilton Head.

The county calls this “mosquito hygiene,” and it says reducing breeding sites and avoiding bites is the main protection against mosquito-borne disease. For standing water you cannot empty, such as a pond, ask the company about larvicide, or call the county on (843) 255-5800.

Massey Services offers a monthly mosquito program through the season or a one-time treatment for a wedding, party or cookout, and starts both with a free inspection. Mosquito Joe says its barrier spray lasts about two to three weeks and offers no-contract options and special event sprays. Arrow Exterminators lists mosquito control with a free pest inspection, and Pinnacle Pest Solutions and Hilton Head Exterminators list it next to their pest plans.

Hosting a backyard wedding on the island? A one-time treatment a few days before is the usual choice; see wedding venues and wedding vendors. For the rest of the pest control side, see pest control on Hilton Head.

Massey Services on Island Dr is the closest to Shelter Cove, at about 1.6 miles. Hilton Head Exterminators and Arrow Exterminators are on the north end near the island convenience center and within about 1.2 miles of the Hilton Head Plantation main gate. Pinnacle Pest Solutions on Office Park Rd is about a mile from Coligny Plaza, the closest to the south end.

Distance matters less than the service area, so check that the company covers your community before you book. Each card above says where the company says it works.

Hilton Head Exterminators and Mosquito Joe both list Daufuskie Island among the places they work. County spraying on Daufuskie is a question for Beaufort County Mosquito Control on (843) 255-5800, which can say whether your address is on its treatment map; for the boat to get there, see the Daufuskie ferry.

On the mainland, Hilton Head Exterminators and Pinnacle Pest Solutions also serve Bluffton, and the companies based there are on mosquito control in Bluffton.

Price depends on the size of the lot, how much shade and water is around it, how often the company comes, and whether you want a season plan or a single treatment. Get the visit schedule and the price per visit in writing, and ask what happens if mosquitoes return between visits.

Massey Services, Arrow Exterminators and Mosquito Joe all start with a free inspection or an online quote, so you can get a number for your yard before you commit. Ask whether the price covers the whole season or each visit.