Dealing with cockroaches, termites and woodworm (carcoma)

Key rules

• Termite law: No national law requires termite inspection or treatment, but your town may have local rules.
• Firm registration: Only hire a pest-control firm that gives you a ROESB registration number.
• Cockroaches: Use gel bait rather than sprays, which scatter the insects.
• Private outdoor space: Standing water on your own patio or terrace is your responsibility, not the town hall's.

Which pests to expect

Cockroaches are the most common problem, followed by ants, fleas and bedbugs, rats and mice, woodworm (carcoma), silverfish, flies and mosquitoes, and termites. This order is approximate.

• Older city centres and hot coastal or southern cities: more cockroaches and rats.
• Dense blocks of flats: cockroaches and bedbugs travel through shared ducts.
• Houses with gardens: more ants, wasps and rodents.
• Mediterranean coast: tiger mosquitoes are widespread.
• Termites: concentrated in Andalucía, Madrid, Cataluña, the Valencia region, the Balearics, the Canary Islands and the Basque Country.

Cockroaches: treat early, and use gel

Gel bait is the best home treatment. Put it in cracks and behind appliances. Sprays alone usually fail and scatter the insects into other rooms.

Also seal gaps, fix leaks, keep food and rubbish covered and clean off grease. Sticky traps help you see how bad the problem is.

Call a professional if you see cockroaches in daytime or in large numbers, if repeated DIY attempts have failed, or if they come through shared ducts. In a shared building, treatment works best when it is coordinated with your neighbours or the community of owners.

Termites or woodworm?

Check the signs, because the two need different responses.

Termites

• Mud tubes on walls or foundations.
• Discarded wings near windows after spring swarming.
• Wood that sounds hollow when you tap it, or crumbles, or has a thin intact surface.
• Blistered paint or floors.
• Small, hard, six-sided pellets pushed out of tiny holes.

Woodworm (carcoma)

• Round exit holes of 1–3 mm.
• Fine, powdery dust underneath. Fresh, light-coloured dust means it is active.
• No mud tubes and no wings.

Termite damage is hidden, runs deep and keeps spreading. If you see any termite sign, book a specialist inspection rather than waiting.

Treating woodworm

For a small piece of furniture, options include injected or surface wood treatment, or hot air, microwave or oxygen-removal treatment. Treat the whole piece, not just the holes. Keep humidity low. Badly damaged wood may need replacing.

For larger jobs, use a licensed firm. For structural beams, have a technician assess them first.

Termite rules and who is responsible

No national law requires a termite inspection or treatment. Some towns with serious termite problems have local rules that can oblige owners to report and treat an infestation. Ask your town hall (ayuntamiento) what applies where you live.

Your community of owners may also have to treat shared parts of the building. Ask the administrator.

Tiger mosquitoes breed in very small amounts of standing water. Town halls deal with public land and drains. Patios, gardens and terraces are the responsibility of the occupants or owners. Empty plant saucers, buckets and pots weekly, clean gutters, cover water tanks, change pet water often, treat ponds with fish or larvicide, and fit window screens.

Hiring a pest-control firm

Pest-control firms must be on the official register of pest-control firms (ROESB), run by each region's health authority. Ask for the firm's ROESB number before you hire. The staff who apply the products must also hold a recognised qualification, and the products must be used as their label says.

Ask for several quotes. Quotes usually follow an inspection, and many firms give a guarantee period. Cockroach treatment is priced per visit and is at the lower end of pest-control prices. Follow-up visits are sometimes needed. Termite treatment costs much more, from a modest sum for a local problem to several thousand for a whole building.

The checklist, warnings and questions below cover what to look for and what to avoid.

Checklist

• Look for mud tubes on walls or foundations, and discarded wings near windows after spring swarming.

• Tap wooden floors, frames and beams and listen for a hollow sound.

• Check wood for crumbling, a thin intact surface, blistered paint, or small hard six-sided pellets pushed out of tiny holes.

• Look for round holes of 1–3 mm and fine powdery dust, which point to woodworm (carcoma) rather than termites.

• Book a specialist inspection if you see signs of termites, because the damage is hidden and keeps spreading.

• Ask your community of owners whether shared parts of the building need treatment.

• Ask for the firm's ROESB registration number (the official register of pest-control firms) before hiring.

• Request several written quotes from registered firms and compare the method, the guarantee period and the follow-up visits.

Local termite rules and prices vary; confirm them with your town hall and in written quotes.

What to watch out for

• Termite damage is hidden and spreads: Termite damage often runs deep inside wood and keeps spreading while the surface looks fine. Get a specialist inspection as soon as you see mud tubes, wings or hollow-sounding wood.

• Woodworm in structural beams: Woodworm (carcoma) can weaken beams and crumble wood. Fresh, light-coloured dust means it is active. Have a technician assess structural beams. Treat the whole piece or structure, keep humidity low, and use a licensed firm for larger jobs.

• Sprays scatter cockroaches: Sprays alone often fail and scatter the insects, so the problem spreads. Use gel baits in cracks and behind appliances, seal gaps, fix leaks and keep food and waste covered.

• Unregistered pest-control firms: Firms must be registered in the ROESB, and staff applying biocides must hold a recognised qualification. An unregistered firm may use products or methods that are not allowed. Ask for the firm's ROESB number and applicator qualification, and ask for a record of the treatment.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to report or treat termites in my Spanish home?

No national law makes you inspect or treat for termites, but some town halls do. Places with serious termite problems, in parts of Andalucía, Cataluña, the Madrid region and the Canary Islands, can require owners to report and treat infestations. Ask your ayuntamiento (town hall), and check your community of owners' rules for shared parts of the building.

Who is responsible for tiger mosquitoes at my home?

You are responsible for tiger mosquitoes on private property such as your patio, garden or terrace. Town halls and regional mosquito-control services handle public land, sewers and drains.

How much does pest control cost in Spain?

Cockroach treatment in a flat is usually at the cheaper end and is priced per visit, depending on home size and how bad the problem is. Termite treatment costs much more, from a modest sum for a small area to several thousand euros for whole buildings. Get several quotes after an inspection and ask about the guarantee period.

Which pests are most common in flats and in houses with gardens?

Cockroaches and bedbugs are the most common problems in flats, because they travel through shared ducts. Houses with gardens have more ants, wasps and rodents. Cockroaches and rats are also more common in older city centres and hot coastal or southern cities.