Pest Control in Spanish
Quick Answer
Pest control in Spanish is control de plagas; an exterminator is un fumigador or tecnico de control de plagas. A cockroach is la cucaracha, a rat is la rata, and a mosquito is el mosquito. To report a problem, say "Hay [pest] en el piso" – "There are [pests] in the apartment." Below: 20 animals, landlord and pest-controller phrases, product-label words, and a 40-term glossary.
This page covers every word and phrase you'll need to describe a pest problem in Spain – to a landlord, a comunidad, a pest control technician, or when reading a product label at the ferreteria. Peninsular Spanish, natural phrasing, no machine-translation guesses.
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How Do You Say Each Pest in Spanish?
Twenty pests, each with gender, plural, pronunciation and regional variants.
How do you say cockroach in Spanish?
Cockroach in Spanish is la cucaracha (feminine, plural las cucarachas), pronounced koo-ka-RA-cha.
In Andalucia you will also hear "curiana" for the same insect, especially the small German cockroach that runs rather than flies. Read the full guide to cockroaches in Spain.
How do you say rat in Spanish?
Rat in Spanish is la rata (feminine, plural las ratas), pronounced RA-ta.
Do not confuse it with "raton" (mouse) – a common mix-up that leads to the wrong trap or the wrong call to the ayuntamiento. Read the full guide to rats and mice in Spain.
How do you say mouse in Spanish?
Mouse in Spanish is el ratón (masculine, plural los ratones), pronounced ra-TON.
"Raton" is smaller and more likely indoors; Spaniards use "rata" for the larger sewer or garden rodent. Read the full guide to rats and mice in Spain.
How do you say spider in Spanish?
Spider in Spanish is la araña (feminine, plural las arañas), pronounced a-RA-nya.
The "ñ" is a single sound, like the "ny" in "canyon" – say it wrong and Spaniards will still understand you. Read the full guide to spiders in Spain.
How do you say snake in Spanish?
Snake in Spanish is la serpiente / la culebra (feminine, plural las serpientes), pronounced ser-PYEN-te.
"Culebra" is the everyday word for a harmless garden snake; "serpiente" is more general and used for any snake, including venomous ones.
How do you say pigeon in Spanish?
Pigeon in Spanish is la paloma (feminine, plural las palomas), pronounced pa-LO-ma.
The same word covers park pigeons and doves – Spaniards specify "paloma de ciudad" (city pigeon) if the pest context matters. Read the full guide to pigeons in Spain.
How do you say fly / flies in Spanish?
Fly / flies in Spanish is la mosca (feminine, plural las moscas), pronounced MOS-ka.
A fruit fly is "mosca de la fruta"; a housefly is just "mosca."
How do you say bee in Spanish?
Bee in Spanish is la abeja (feminine, plural las abejas), pronounced a-BE-kha.
Bees are protected pollinators in Spain, so a "colmena" (hive) on your property is usually a job for a beekeeper, not a fumigador.
How do you say wasp in Spanish?
Wasp in Spanish is la avispa (feminine, plural las avispas), pronounced a-VEES-pa.
A hornet is "avispón"; the invasive Asian hornet is "avispa asiatica" and is a notifiable pest in several regions. Read the full guide to wasps in Spain.
How do you say ant in Spanish?
Ant in Spanish is la hormiga (feminine, plural las hormigas), pronounced or-MEE-ga.
An ant nest or trail is "un hormiguero" – useful when describing where they are entering the kitchen. Read the full guide to ants in Spain.
How do you say mosquito in Spanish?
Mosquito in Spanish is el mosquito (masculine, plural los mosquitos), pronounced mos-KEE-to.
The invasive tiger mosquito is "mosquito tigre" – ask your farmacia for "repelente contra el mosquito tigre" if it is biting during the day. Read the full guide to mosquitoes in Spain.
How do you say bed bug in Spanish?
Bed bug in Spanish is la chinche (feminine, plural las chinches), pronounced CHEEN-che.
The full term is "chinche de cama"; "chinche" alone can also mean other small biting bugs, so add "de cama" to be unambiguous. Read the full guide to bed bugs in Spain.
How do you say flea in Spanish?
Flea in Spanish is la pulga (feminine, plural las pulgas), pronounced POOL-ga.
Flea treatment for pets is "tratamiento antipulgas" – the same prefix "anti-" appears on most pest products in Spain. Read the full guide to fleas in Spain.
How do you say tick in Spanish?
Tick in Spanish is la garrapata (feminine, plural las garrapatas), pronounced ga-ra-PA-ta.
Common in rural and dog-walking areas; vets use the same word, so "quitar una garrapata" (remove a tick) is understood everywhere. Read the full guide to ticks in Spain.
How do you say termite in Spanish?
Termite in Spanish is la termita (feminine, plural las termitas), pronounced ter-MEE-ta.
Termite damage is "daños de termitas" – a phrase worth knowing before signing a rural property contract. Read the full guide to termites in Spain.
How do you say scorpion in Spanish?
Scorpion in Spanish is el escorpión / el alacrán (masculine, plural los escorpiones), pronounced es-kor-PYON.
"Alacran" is more common in parts of Andalucia and Murcia; "escorpion" is understood nationwide. Read the full guide to scorpions in Spain.
How do you say moth in Spanish?
Moth in Spanish is la polilla (feminine, plural las polillas), pronounced po-LEE-ya.
A clothes moth problem is "polilla de la ropa"; a pantry moth is "polilla de la despensa." Read the full guide to moths in Spain.
How do you say silverfish in Spanish?
Silverfish in Spanish is el pececillo de plata / la lepisma (masculine (pececillo) / feminine (lepisma), plural los pececillos de plata), pronounced pe-se-SEE-yo deh PLA-ta.
Literally "little silver fish" – a fair description of how it moves. "Lepisma" is the more technical, less common alternative. Read the full guide to silverfish in Spain.
How do you say centipede in Spanish?
Centipede in Spanish is el ciempiés (masculine, plural los ciempiés), pronounced syem-PYES.
Literally "hundred feet." The word does not change in the plural – "un ciempies" and "unos ciempies" look identical, only the article changes. Read the full guide to centipedes in Spain.
How do you say lizard / gecko in Spanish?
Lizard / gecko in Spanish is la lagartija / la salamanquesa (feminine, plural las lagartijas), pronounced la-gar-TEE-kha.
"Lagartija" is the small outdoor lizard; "salamanquesa" is the pale house gecko that clings to walls near lights at night – both are harmless and beneficial, not pests to remove.
What to Say to Your Landlord or Comunidad
Phrases for reporting a pest problem to your landlord (casero) or the community of owners (comunidad de propietarios). Copy and paste into WhatsApp if speaking feels too daunting.
There are cockroaches in the apartment
Hay cucarachas en el piso
They're coming from the drains
Salen por los desagües
We need pest control treatment
Necesitamos una desinsectación
We need a rodent treatment
Necesitamos una desratización
Who is responsible for paying?
¿Quién es responsable del pago?
The community of owners should organise treatment
La comunidad de propietarios debería organizar un tratamiento
There's a wasp nest on the terrace
Hay un nido de avispas en la terraza
Can you call the building manager?
¿Puede llamar al administrador de fincas?
The problem is getting worse
El problema está empeorando
I need this in writing, please
Necesito esto por escrito, por favor
What to Say to a Pest Controller
Booking and questioning a professional (empresa de control de plagas). See our guide to pest control companies in Spain.
I need pest control
Necesito control de plagas
Do you speak English?
¿Habla inglés?
How much does treatment cost?
¿Cuánto cuesta el tratamiento?
Is the treatment safe for pets/children?
¿El tratamiento es seguro para mascotas/niños?
How long do we need to leave the house?
¿Cuánto tiempo tenemos que salir de casa?
Do you offer a guarantee?
¿Ofrecen garantía?
I need a receipt/invoice
Necesito un recibo/factura
Can you treat the whole building?
¿Pueden tratar todo el edificio?
When can you come?
¿Cuándo pueden venir?
Do you have a licence/certification?
¿Tienen licencia/certificación?
Words on Spanish Product Labels
What you will see printed on the front of a box at Mercadona, a ferreteria or on Amazon.es.
insecticida – insecticide
General term on any spray, powder or aerosol that kills insects.
cebo – bait
A gel, granule or station pests eat and carry back to the nest – e.g. "cebo para cucarachas."
gel – gel
Usually paired with "cebo" – "gel cebo" is the syringe-applied cockroach gel sold in every ferreteria.
trampa – trap
Mechanical or sticky trap – "trampa para ratones," "trampa adhesiva."
veneno – poison
Rodenticide is usually labelled "veneno para ratas" rather than the technical "rodenticida."
repelente – repellent
Applies to skin sprays, electric plug-ins and outdoor devices – "repelente de insectos," "repelente mosquito tigre."
pulverizador – sprayer
The spray bottle or pump sprayer itself, distinct from the liquid inside it.
larvicida – larvicide
Product for standing water that kills mosquito larvae before they hatch – common near pools and drains.
Full Glossary – 40 Terms
Every word from this page in one printable table.
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Pest | Plaga |
| Pest control | Control de plagas |
| Exterminator | Fumigador / técnico |
| Infestation | Infestación |
| Nest | Nido |
| Cockroach | Cucaracha |
| Rat | Rata |
| Mouse | Ratón |
| Spider | Araña |
| Mosquito | Mosquito |
| Bed bug | Chinche |
| Flea | Pulga |
| Tick | Garrapata |
| Termite | Termita |
| Scorpion | Escorpión |
| Ant | Hormiga |
| Wasp | Avispa |
| Moth | Polilla |
| Fly | Mosca |
| Pigeon | Paloma |
| Drain | Desagüe |
| Sewer | Alcantarillado |
| Pipe | Tubería |
| Crack / gap | Grieta / hueco |
| Attic | Desván / buhardilla |
| Basement | Sótano |
| Terrace | Terraza |
| Storage room | Trastero |
| Community of owners | Comunidad de propietarios |
| Building manager | Administrador de fincas |
| Landlord | Casero / propietario |
| Tenant | Inquilino |
| Sting / bite | Picadura |
| Droppings | Excrementos |
| Egg / eggs | Huevo / huevos |
| Fumigate | Fumigar |
| Guarantee | Garantía |
| Invoice | Factura |
| Appointment | Cita |
| Emergency | Emergencia |
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