Looking for an exterminator in Ho Chi Minh City?
Pest control and exterminator are two names for the same trade. At UpClean the treatment is carried out by our own pest-control technicians, and it starts with a free survey and a written plan. The table shows which service covers which pest.
| If you are looking for | The UpClean service |
|---|---|
| Termite exterminator (white ants) | Termite control: survey, treatment and follow-up visits set out in writing. |
| Cockroach exterminator | Cockroach control, with a deep clean of the kitchen beforehand. |
| Bed bug exterminator | Bed bug and flea control, with mattress, sofa and bedding cleaning. |
| Rat or mouse exterminator | Rodent control: sealing entry points, trapping and baiting, then cleaning and deodorising. |
| Mosquito control | Mosquito control for garden villas and riverside homes, with standing water found and cleared. |
| Wasp or bee nest removal | Wasp and bee nests, and geckos, assessed for safe access before any work. |
| Woodworm in furniture | Woodworm treatment for wooden furniture and fittings. |
Which pest do I have? Signs of the common household pests
Each pest leaves its own traces, listed below. Treatment has to reach the place a pest shelters and the source it comes from, which killing the ones in view does not do, so every UpClean survey starts by identifying the species, how far it has spread and the routes it uses.
- Termites
- Narrow covered tubes of mud along the base of walls and door frames; timber that sounds hollow when tapped; shed wings in piles after rain.
- Cockroaches
- Small dark pellet-like droppings in drawers, behind the fridge and under the sink; a distinctive unpleasant smell; activity at night around the kitchen and drain openings.
- Ants
- Trails along the base of walls, across door sills and around sweet food. The nest is usually in a wall gap, a plant pot or under floor tiles.
- Mosquitoes
- Numerous around gardens, landscape ponds, plant saucers and gutters that still hold water.
- Rodents
- Droppings; gnaw marks on electrical cable and food packaging; noises at night in the ceiling and service ducts.
- Woodworm and bed bugs
- Woodworm leaves small round holes and fine wood powder. Bed bugs leave brown spots along the edge of the mattress and bites in a line.
Which pest control service do I need?
Each pest has its own hiding places, habits and method of control. This page is the overview; each service below has its own page with the signs, the treatment options and how to prepare.
- Termite control
- For homes with mud tubes, hollow timber or winged termites: survey, bait and bait stations, residual treatment and floor-slab treatment.
- Pre-construction termite protection
- For a house being built or heavily renovated: a barrier layer over the ground slab, a termite trench and timber treatment, timed to the contractor's programme.
- Cockroach control
- Focused on kitchen cabinets, the space under the sink, service ducts and food-preparation areas in apartments and restaurants.
- Mosquito control
- For garden villas, riverside homes and landscape ponds, combined with removing standing water.
- Rodent control
- Finding the way in, setting traps and secure bait stations, and advising on sealing gaps.
- Woodworm treatment
- For furniture, doors and timber floors with bore holes and fine wood powder.
- Bed bug and flea control
- For bedrooms, mattresses, sofas and homes with pets, combined with washing and steaming of fabrics.
Ants in the house: where is the nest, and how is it treated?
The nest is usually out of sight, and treatment follows the trail back to it. The ants on the kitchen worktop are workers out foraging. Their nest tends to be in a wall gap, under a loose floor tile, in a service duct or electrical socket, in a plant pot or in the void behind the kitchen cabinets. Some small ant species have several queens and split into new nests when sprayed, which is why wiping away the trail or using an aerosol usually helps for only a few days.
After the survey, UpClean's technicians usually prefer bait placed at points along the trails, which workers carry back to the nest, with spot treatment of wall gaps and door thresholds where needed. This keeps spraying in living areas to a minimum and suits apartments and homes with young children or pets.
While the bait is working you may see more ants gathering around it. That is expected, so please do not wipe them away. Meanwhile keep sweet food and pet food covered, dry the sink, and seal the gaps around water pipes so the ants find no other food.
Spraying or baiting: which pest control method is used when?
Spraying is not needed in every case. UpClean's technicians choose the method by species, severity and the layout of the space, and the choice is set out in writing for you to approve first.
- Residual spraying
- Applied to surfaces insects cross, such as the base of walls, the underside of cabinets and door gaps, leaving a layer that keeps working. It suits pests that move through many areas. Food is put away first, and the household keeps to the re-entry time, meaning how long to stay out of a treated area.
- Space spraying
- Mostly used against mosquitoes in gardens, on lawns and in shrubs. The household keeps away from the area for the time advised.
- Bait and bait stations
- Suited to cockroaches, ants, rodents and termites: little odour, little disruption, and the whole colony is reached through its foraging. It takes time, and placements must stay where they are.
- Traps and physical measures
- Sticky traps, rodent traps, sealing gaps and removing standing water, usually alongside the methods above to reduce the amount of chemical needed.
How do I prepare my home, and is pest control safe for children and pets?
Before the appointment you receive a written note of where treatment will take place, how long to keep out of each area and what to bear in mind. Your Up specialist helps with covering and tidying, and we ask you to see to the following:
- Put food, dishes and cooking utensils in closed cupboards or move them out of the area. Cover rice bins and water jugs.
- Put away toys, feeding bottles and children's things. Young children, pregnant women and older people leave the area for the re-entry time the technicians give.
- Move dogs, cats and caged birds to another room, or have them looked after elsewhere, for the time advised. Cover fish tanks and ask the technicians whether the air pump should be switched off for a while.
- Leave clear space along the base of walls, behind cabinets and under the sink so the technicians can reach the points to be treated.
- Tell us beforehand if anyone at home has asthma, allergies or is being treated for a respiratory condition.
- Afterwards, open doors and windows to ventilate as instructed. Do not wash surfaces that have had residual treatment, and do not move bait stations.
Who carries out the treatment, and what does the Up specialist do?
UpClean does the pest-control work itself, with its own technicians, so you deal with one company from the first message to sign-off. The technicians handle everything that involves a product, following the label and the regulations; your Up specialist looks after protection, cleaning and reporting.
- UpClean's technicians
- Identify the species and how severe the problem is; propose the method, a product from the permitted list and the re-entry time; carry out the treatment; return for follow-up checks and honour the warranty set out in the quote.
- Your Up specialist
- Takes your enquiry and surveys; sends the plan and all-inclusive quote in writing; schedules the visit; prepares and protects the rooms; stays on site throughout; cleans afterwards; sends the Up Report and reminds you of follow-up checks.
- You
- Approve the plan and prepare as advised. You may ask for product information before the day of treatment.
- Up Report
- The record sent by WhatsApp or Zalo after the visit: the agreed plan, the points treated, bait-station positions, before-and-after photos of the cleaning and the follow-up schedule.
Scheduled pest control for restaurants, offices and villas
Where a kitchen is in use every day, food is stored on site or the garden is large, a single treatment once pests are already visible usually solves the problem only for a while. A scheduled programme finds activity early, reduces the amount of chemical needed and keeps the premises steady through the year.
- UpClean proposes an inspection schedule by type of premises: restaurant, café, office, shophouse or villa.
- Each inspection records signs area by area and adds bait stations or traps where needed.
- Visits can be arranged outside service or working hours on request.
- The Up Report after each visit lets the owner or facility manager follow the trend and keep an internal record.
- Factories and warehouses are taken on after a separate survey.
How much does pest control cost in Ho Chi Minh City?
UpClean does not list a price for pest control, because the cost follows from the plan proposed after the survey. The survey is free. The all-inclusive quote is given in writing and states the method, the re-entry time, the number of follow-up visits and the warranty terms, and any later change needs your written confirmation. The price depends on:
- The pest and how far it has spread: confined to the kitchen or present throughout the home, one species or several at once.
- The form of service: a one-off treatment for a problem that has come up, or a scheduled programme.
- The type and size of premises: apartment, townhouse, villa, restaurant or office, and any garden, landscape pond or basement.
- The time of day: within or outside business or working hours.
- The amount of cleaning afterwards carried out by your Up specialist.
- Questions worth asking any provider
- Is the company that applies the products itself eligible to provide pest-control services, and can it show this when asked? Do the products have a valid registration number in Vietnam, and are they permitted for the pest in question? Are the plan, the treated areas and the re-entry time sent in writing beforehand? Are follow-up visits, warranty conditions and exclusions in the quote? Who covers, cleans and puts the home back as it was?
How do I keep pests away between visits?
Ho Chi Minh City's hot, humid climate and heavy rain favour insects, above all in garden villas and homes near rivers and canals. These habits help the result of a treatment last:
- Repair leaks in roofs, pipes and the base of walls early. Termites and cockroaches both favour damp.
- Once a week, empty water standing in plant saucers, gutters and things left in the yard, to limit mosquitoes.
- Keep food and bins covered, and dry the sink before bed.
- Seal gaps around waste pipes, drain covers and vents to make it harder for rodents and cockroaches to get in.
- Check second-hand timber furniture, mattresses and sofas carefully before bringing them home.
- Areas we cover
- Regularly An Khanh ward (Sala, Thu Thiem, Thao Dien), Binh Trung, Cat Lai, Phu My Hung (Tan My and Tan Hung wards), Thanh My Tay (Binh Thanh), former Districts 1, 3 and 4, former Phu Nhuan and Nha Be commune. In Districts 5, 6, 8, 10, 11 and 12, Go Vap, Tan Binh, Tan Phu and former District 9, the survey date is confirmed when you book. Wards replaced districts in July 2025, but people still use the district names, so we do too.
- Guide: termites in Saigon houses
- The signs, what treatment involves and what to ask before you sign.
- Guide: mosquitoes in the rainy season
- What reduces them at home and when spraying makes sense.
- Guide: cockroaches, ants and geckos in apartments
- What brings them in and what to do.
