At some point, every home will experience a pest infestation. If you discover that your home is infested with termites, cockroaches, mice, rats, or any other pest, you will want to act quickly to protect your family and property.
Regardless of the type of house you have or how well you maintain it, you will most likely need pest control services on occasion. And when that time comes, there are certain steps that you can take to prepare your home. Do not forget that collaboration between pest control experts and homeowners is necessary for effective pest management. As a homeowner, you are also responsible for more than just making the occasional call for pest control services. It will require some work on your part to get your house ready for the inspection.
For those wondering, “How to prepare your home for pest treatment?” we will explain the steps that you should take to ensure a smooth pest control process and offer our recommendations below.
Why It’s Important to Get Your Home Ready for Pest Control?
The preparation of your house for the treatment is typically not included in pest control services. This entails keeping your belongings—such as food, clothes, furniture, and other obstacles—away from the area of concern.
However, following a site risk assessment, a trustworthy pest control business should be able to guide you through what to do and what not to do when getting your house ready for the treatment.
Making sure the treatment goes smoothly is the aim here, but even more crucially, you want to make sure that no area is overlooked and that everything is covered. Otherwise, inadequate planning may result in less-than-ideal outcomes or, worse, raise the possibility of re-infestation.
How to Prepare Your Home for Pest Treatment?
Applying pest control measures could assist in getting rid of unwelcome visitors. But you should also contribute by keeping your house neat and organized.
Below are some steps to take before your pest control specialist begins the treatment process:
Cleaning Up
Cleaning your home is the first step in getting ready for pest control, regardless of the kind of infestation:
- Make sure the experts who will be handling pest control can easily access all areas of your home.
- Eliminate any food sources that might draw pests.
- Remove any visible pests, nests, and hiding places as much as you can.
- Clean the floor and kitchen surfaces to get rid of any food particles and vacuum the carpets.
- Wipe out any standing water and clean the sinks.
- Move everything that could get in the way of the treatment, including your furniture and any dirty dishes, laundry, paper goods, clutter, or trash.
Moving and Packing the Furniture
To ensure that the pest control experts have easy access to all the areas that could be home to pests, such as their favorite hiding places—under the stove, behind large appliances, beneath your furniture, etc.—move your furniture away from the walls.
This will allow them greater space to apply chemicals in neglected and difficult-to-reach areas, which, if left untreated, could become reinfested.
Additionally, remember to cover the furniture in your house with an old sheet or plastic cover while you treat for pests. Since the latter offers a better defense against pesticides, it is frequently more appropriate.
With wooden furniture, extra care should be taken in case there is a termite problem. It might need to be moved to a location where the pesticide can be used successfully.
Keeping Food Items Out of the Way and Airtight
To avoid contamination, remove any food from your countertops. Throughout the procedure, you should also put your drinking glasses, plates, silverware, utensils, and other tiny appliances away.
If you must leave any food or appliances on the counter, make sure to store the former in airtight containers prior to the treatment, and completely wrap the latter in plastic wrap.
Your kitchen is usually the most pest-attracting area, next to the bathroom, so be prepared for a lot of spraying.
Preparing Your Pets
As you get ready for the pest control treatment, don’t forget to include your cherished fur friends in addition to your family and neighbors. Since most pets are chemically sensitive, it would be best to temporarily move them somewhere else while the treatment is being administered. This will also reduce their anxiety because, from their point of view, strangers will be showing up at your house and taking control of the premises for a while.
You should also take their toys, cages, and bedding out of the treatment area and store them.
If there are any fish tanks on the property, cover them with plastic or a towel and make sure the fish have access to enough oxygen and food.
Although the majority of reputable termite and pest control businesses take pride in employing eco-friendly pesticides, it’s still advisable to exercise caution.
Leaving the Property
For the sake of your family’s safety, it is advised that you leave the area for at least four hours, or until the treatment is finished.
It’s dangerous to breathe in or come into contact with pesticides, so always give yourself some time before entering your home. Especially if you or someone in your home is expecting a child or is afflicted with allergies or other respiratory issues. This also applies to infants and young children, and even more so to those who are still in the crawling stage.
What Should Companies Do Before Pest Control?
Companies have different fumigation regulations to follow than do residences and apartments. Before the fumigation takes place, they have to meet with a representative and tell the tenants about it.
Additionally, organizations need to package plastic, cardboard, foil, and paper goods in bags. If you are a business owner, you should also make sure that the doors stay open to allow the chemicals to spread, and that the technicians have access to areas that are locked.
What to Do Following a Treatment for Pest Control?
The steps you must take to ensure that you receive the best results from the service are equally as important as the preparation you do for the treatment:
- Give the Products Time to Work: Once your pest control professional has finished, give the treatment time to fully take effect. Put off doing any quick cleaning tasks like sweeping or washing. After the pest control treatment, ideally, you should wait at least one week before beginning any thorough cleaning.
- Patch Up Leaks: Following a pest control treatment, you should thoroughly inspect your home to look for any leaks. If you have any plumbing issues, like leaky taps or broken pipes, you should take quick action to fix them. This preventive action is an extra safeguard against pest infestation in your house.
- Make a Routine Check for Pests: Finding dead pests occasionally is not unusual following a pest control treatment. It is essential to keep previously infected areas clean and inspected. So, make sure to keep an eye out for any dead pests in the days after the treatment and clean them right away to prevent attracting new pests into your house.
Now that you know how to prepare your home for pest treatment, you should take the necessary steps to ensure a smooth pest control process and a pest-free home.
Reducing pests around your property should be a continuous effort rather than something you do occasionally as an afterthought. By taking the proper precautions both before and after pest control treatments, you can permanently keep unwanted bugs and rodents out of your house or place of business.
