Seeing a large rat skitter through your home’s hallway or roaches crawling around your kitchen can be frustrating. And in such cases, you’d want to exterminate them immediately. While you can try to get rid of these pests on your own using conventional traps and pesticides, hiring the experts ensures that you enjoy long-term results.
However, hiring a reliable St. Paul pest control service or one in your area doesn’t mean you’ll only have to sit back and wait. Generally, effective pest elimination requires a partnership between you and the pest control technician, and it all starts with good preparation of your home before the experts arrive.
Proper preparation can help minimize the risk of reinfestation while keeping you and your family safe during the process. While preparing for a pest control treatment differs depending on what kind of pest you’re trying to eliminate, this post shares the basic prepping steps to be completed before a pest control service visit.
- Clean Your Home
Cleaning your home before the pest control company arrives is more than ensuring your house is neat and presentable. Generally, the less clutter in your home, the easier it is to work and apply the necessary treatments and traps to eliminate these pesky pests.
Also, a pest control specialist must access every nook and cranny of your home where pests may be hiding. You can help by moving large items out and clutter, such as toys, so they can reach the deepest corners to apply treatments effectively.
Moving furniture and appliances away from the walls is also best since this can give the specialist a better look for pest activities, such as holes and cracks in the wall where pests can hide. In addition, keep your yard well-maintained. Mowing the lawn and trimming any hedges and shrubs close to your home can help. It also includes sweeping and disposing of dead leaves in the yard and storing your gardening tools properly.
Cleaning your home and garden before the pest control specialists arrive goes a long way in ensuring faster and more efficient pest control treatment. It also makes cleaning your home after the treatment easier and more convenient while providing more effective results.
- Empty Your Cabinets And Drawers
Cleaning your home doesn’t mean you can just hide all clutter in cabinets and drawers. Generally, most pest control service also requires homeowners to empty these spaces since they are the most likely places for pests to hide. So, clearing out these places can provide them with better access and makes treating pests easier. Plus, it also helps prevent chemicals from sticking to your belongings.
As such, removing any items in your cabinets, drawers, and closets is recommended. You can place these items in a box and a secured room while the treatment is ongoing. The same goes for any essential items in your home, such as toys, electronics, cosmetics, and more.
- Put Food Items Away
You’d want to remove or put all food items away before the pest control treatment begins. This includes leftover or packed food items sitting on the countertop, dining table, or anywhere in your home, as they can be contaminated by the chemicals used during the procedure.
That said, ensure you store all food items in the fridge for the duration of the treatment. However, if you need to keep food outside of the refrigerator, cover them in plastic before and after the procedure.
- Confine Or Evacuate Kids And Pets
Depending on the pest control treatment plan, you must confine or evacuate your kids and pets from your property. This is particularly true for curious toddlers and skittish pets.
Generally, you can keep them in a separate room until the treatment is finished. However, leaving them with a relative or friend is the safest option. This way, they won’t inhale harmful toxins and prevent safety risks. It also helps pest control technicians to work effectively.
Wrapping Up
A pest infestation can be a serious problem, causing damage to your property and health issues for your family. As such, you want to call the pros at the first sign of infestation. That said, to ensure that you make the most out of the treatment and thoroughly purge your home of pests, follow the above steps to fully prepare your home, providing a smoother and more successful pest control treatment.
Moreover, considering different pest control treatments require different preparation, when you schedule a pest control treatment with the pros, ask them to see if they need you to do or prepare anything.
