Pest control is an important part of protecting your house, family, and pets. If you have noticed that fleas, termites, or rodents are a problem, it’s time to enlist the help of a pest control expert to ensure that you are protected from harmful pests and their diseases. One of the things that many people do not realize is that there are certain steps you can take in preparation for the pest control treatment. These steps make the process smoother and quicker than would otherwise be the case.
Do your Research Beforehand
Look into the company you’re hiring and make sure they are legitimate by doing background research. Find out if they use eco-friendly methods and if they provide guarantees on their work. Then, find out what kind of pests they can treat, such as termites, fleas, bugs, rats, and mice, so you know exactly what you need to prepare for.
Clean Your Home
Clean up your home beforehand so the pest control treatment can be most effective. If you don’t clean up before the appointment, pests may have a chance to hide from the exterminator during the process or return because there are still plenty of places to live in your home. The pest control professionals will vacuum up visible fleas and other insects, but a thorough cleaning should be done beforehand.
Move Furniture
If you’re getting your house sprayed by a pest control professional, move furniture away from walls and clean up piles of clutter. Pest control sprays need direct contact with pests to work properly, so they’re less likely to be effective if there’s stuff in their way. That includes stored goods such as books, clothes, or food that might attract pests, including pet food! Ensure your pantry shelves are clear for easy access by an exterminator or do-it.
Take Note of All Pest Locations
One of the most important aspects of preparing for a pest control treatment is understanding what you’re dealing with. Before your pest control appointment, look around your home and note any places where pests have been spotted. Keeping a log of where pests have been seen and how frequently they appear will help the exterminator locate their nests or hiding spots and eliminate them more effectively. This will help ensure that the exterminator targets the right problem with the right solution.
Put Away Food
If you have pests like ants or roaches, one of the first things your pest control technician will do is treat areas where they get into your home. That means sealing cracks, removing potential nesting sites, and spraying chemicals on any existing nests or trails. Keeping food in sealed containers can help prevent pests from accessing it and getting sick from the chemicals used to eliminate them. Whether in the pantry or the cupboard, you will want to ensure that no food is left out when the pest control company comes into your home. It is important to make sure that they don’t eat any of your food or that they don’t carry any pests into your food.
Keep Pets Out of the Way
Pets can make pest control challenging. It’s best to keep dogs and cats out of the way while treatments are applied, especially if they’re skittish around strangers or known to eat things they shouldn’t. If possible, take your pets somewhere else during treatment until the product has dried or settled in a place where they can’t get into it.
Communicate with Your Pest Control Company
Always try to find the best pest control company near you, like pest control Tampa, FL. You can search on the internet by typing pest control near me and it will show the companies near you. After hiring one be sure to inform the pest control company of any concerns or special needs you might have before they arrive. If you are allergic to certain chemicals, don’t want certain products used because of pets or small children, or want them to focus on specific areas, let the company know beforehand. You can also tell them if there are any rooms that you do not want them entering or treatments applied in. However, remember that it may be difficult for the pest control professional to eliminate pests from your home if there are areas that cannot be treated.
Bottom Line
If you are using the services of an exterminator for your pest control problems, there are a few things you can do in advance to make their job easier. Hopefully, these tips will prove useful if you need pest control services. At the very least, they can help you better understand your treatment options and force you to consider ways that pests could affect your home. And that’s certainly not a bad thing!