Do I need to clean my house before pest control services take place?
No. Your home doesn't have to be spotless, but dusting, vacuuming and general tidying up will help the technician to service efficiently.
If you are having pest control come in, you might wonder if you should clean house first. The answer depends in part on what kind of services are taking place. Your house does not need to be spotless. You don't need to clean it as if an important visitor was coming. Pest control people have seen it all and don't judge. However, it's a good idea to have your home be reasonably clean and tidy.
What Should I Do Before You Arrive?
First of all, you should vacuum carpets and sweep hardwood floors, tiles, and linoleum. You should also deal with any dust. This makes it easier for us to apply any bait we are going to use.
Importantly, you should remove clutter that might get in our way. Put away child's and pet's toys and please restrain your pets or confine them to a room that is not being treated. Your dog or cat may want to say hi, but they will get in the way. This also helps us make sure we see all of the problem and gives fewer places for pests to hide. Dispose of any paper goods before the treatment and replace afterwards.
Avoid leaving pet food out all night — if your pet isn't eating it, the mice might be.
What About Outside?
Pests come from outside and they go to outside. Move leaves, etc, away from your home. Leave clean openings at entryways to the underside of your porch. These might be areas we will want to treat or apply repellent to to keep pests from returning.
What Specific Things Should You Do?
With some pests, there are specific things you can do to help us out.
Fleas
- Vacuum all carpets and furnishings. Empty the bag into a sealable plastic bag and immediately discard.
- Wash all pet bedding in hot water (you should do it regularly).
- Treat your pets on the same day you spray the property to break the cycle
Ants
- Wipe counters and under appliances
- Wipe down open jars of anything sweet, such as honey
- Take out the trash
- Do not disturb ant trails or the ants themselves, or they will hide from us.
Rodents
- Clean everything but do not disturb or clean droppings. Leave those to us because they are dangerous to handle and we know what we are doing
- Take out the trash and close all garbage lids
- Trim vegetation away from the home
- Look for damaged areas and mouseholes. If you can seal them yourselves do, otherwise talk to us and we can help.
In general, your home should be neat and tidy before pest control shows up. We may have specific recommendations based on the pests reported and the planned treatment.