You’re sick of it – sick of the pests that keep infiltrating your home and disrupting your family life. The pests don’t belong in your home, and it’s time that you did something about it. So you pick up the phone and call an Orange County pest control service to come and treat your home.
With that sorted out, it’s time to prepare for the treatment. But what exactly needs to happen before the pest control experts come to treat your house? After all, you want the treatment to work as well as possible. Turns out, there are a few things you can do to get your home and family ready for pest treatment. Here are the most important steps to take:
First things first – when you call your Orange County pest control service to schedule a treatment, ask them which treatments they will do and request a quote. If you just need a general pest prevention treatment, the company should be able to give you a good idea of the cost.
If a company isn’t willing to give you a quote, you may want to try calling a different company instead. It’s possible that, if they aren’t willing to give you a quote, they may try to add in unnecessary services and charge you more than you want to pay. So make the company accountable and request a quote.
Another important thing is to request an inspection. Some companies will require an inspection of your home before applying treatment so they can make sure they are addressing the right problem. This is especially something you want your pest control company to do if you think you might have a pest infestation. The pest experts will determine whether you have an infestation and what the best course of action is if you do have one.
When you get a quote and an inspection, you’ll know exactly what treatments and costs to expect when the pest control company comes to treat your home. Knowing what to expect will help you prepare for the treatment itself.
The preparations you need to make to ready your house for a pest treatment can vary based on the type of treatment you’re getting. For example, if you need fumigation done on your home, the preparations will be much more intensive. But for the typical pest treatment, there are some simple things you can do to prepare your home for treatment.
Cleaning is one of the best things you can do before a pest treatment. When you clean, you’ll clear out all the dust, dirt, and crumbs that could limit the effectiveness of the pest treatment. Plus, cleaning can get rid of some of the pests that are hanging out in your home. If you get rid of those pests, you’ll have fewer dead pests around your home after the treatment.
It’s good to do your normal cleaning before a pest treatment, but you’ll want to give special attention to your floors. The pest treatment is typically applied in a mist that is sprayed onto your floor, particularly around the edges of a room. If the floor has dust and dirt on it, the treatment will settle onto those particles instead of onto the floor where you need it. Clean floors make for more effective treatments.
You may choose to have the treatment applied only to the outside of your house. In this case, make sure to do some cleaning outside before the treatment is applied. Again, dirt and dust on the outside of your home may limit the effectiveness of the treatment.
You’ll also want to get rid of any standing water if you can. Standing water attracts many types of pests and will prevent the treatment from sticking to your home. Obviously, it can be difficult to get the outside of your home extremely clean, but do your best to prep your home anyway. Even a little bit of cleaning can make a big difference in the treatment’s results.
As you clean, move things out of the way that could be problematic for the pest experts. Furniture tends to be a big issue when the pest experts apply the treatment, so move it out away from the walls if you can. And make sure to clean up any dust or pests that might have been hiding behind your furniture.
Furniture isn’t the only problem though. If you need your closets treated, you’ll need to pack up any clothes, bins, and toys that are in the closets. The treatment can’t be applied well with those things in the way, and it could be dangerous to wear clothing or play with toys that have been sprayed with pest treatment. Though the treatments are typically kid- and pet-friendly, direct long-term exposure on the skin could be risky.
Also, make sure that your food is stored safely away as well. It is not safe to ingest something that came in contact with pest treatment, so put food away in airtight containers or the refrigerator to protect it from the treatment. If any food is left out, it will need to be thrown out after the treatment is applied.
Even though the treatment your Orange County pest control uses is likely kid- and pet-friendly, it’s best to be away from your home when pest control services are applying the pest treatment. The mist shouldn’t be breathed in. Taking your family away from your house when treatment is applied will also give the treatment time to dry and start taking effect.
Because of this, it might be easiest to schedule your treatment during school hours so your kids aren’t home. But you could also use it as an opportunity to go on a family outing or to just spend some time at the dog park playing and enjoying the outdoors.
After the treatment has been applied and has had a couple of hours to dry, it will be safe for you and your family to return home.