Home is a comfortable place to live, except when it comes to pests. Some of the most common pests found in houses are flies, mosquitos, rats, mites, bugs, or some more. Pests are not only harmful to your health but can also damage your home’s structural integrity. Smart homeowners prioritize the pest’s elimination from their houses.
The first step to control pests invading your home is to call professional pests exterminating services. Professional pest exterminating companies can eliminate pest problems from your home. After scheduling pest extermination of your home, you have to prepare your home for a smooth examination and know what to expect from them.
Don’t worry, it is not difficult to prepare your home before professionals arrive, here are a few steps that will help you smoothly go with the procedure.
Preparing for Residential Pest Extermination
Remember Where You Noticed the Pests
If you can inform the professionals where you saw the pests last time, it will help experts in finding pests quickly. However, some pests don’t stick to the same place for a long time and take a long time to be found.
Put Aside Cutlery and Food Items
During pest treatment, the exterminator may need to spray hazardous chemicals that must not be ingested. You have to make sure to keep any food and kitchen items away from treatment sites, so they can’t get contaminated. Some residential pest exterminating companies use pest sprays in the kitchen because many insects look for food there.
Put away food from all cabinets and cover it to put far away from treatment sites. If possible, remove all appliances from countertops to remove hidden spaces for pests.
Protect Pets
Even though most pest exterminating companies may say that chemicals used during the process are safe for pets, it is still best to keep your pets away from the treatment sites. It is better to take precautions and protect your pets than to be sorry.
If you have dogs or cats as pets, try to relocate them to a neighborhood, friend, or family place for a couple of hours during treatment. Chemical sprays can risk their lives as well the process can affect the pet’s emotional health. Many pets, especially dogs, experience anxiety when strangers enter their homes with heavy equipment. They may interrupt the process and may attack the exterminators.
If you have caged pets like birds, fish, and reptiles, they should also be relocated, and if it is not possible, cover their cage. Also, make sure to cover the pet’s food and supplies.
Clear all Spaces
Under Sinks:
If you have things stored in cabinets under the sink in the kitchen and bathroom, make sure to move them to another place, so the exterminator can easily check pests’ activity.
Garages:
Remove all things you have stored in your garage against the garage wall so all spots will be exposed to the exterminator.
Attic:
If anything is blocking the entrance of the attic, remove it before pest exterminating services arrive. So, they can enter into the attic, and debris falling during treatment doesn’t disrupt your things.
Crawl Spaces:
Clear the opening of the crawl space of your home so the exterminator can get into it. If you have stored things in the crawl space, remove them so, during treatment, workers don’t get interrupted.
Rearrange Furniture
After clearing all spaces, clean your home and do a little rearrangement of your furniture to make the exterminator work easier. Move furniture and appliances three to feet away from walls and windows. This gives the exterminator more space to check the pest’s shelter and activity.
Clean Floor and Carpets
Clean floors and carpets thoroughly to remove visible pests and their eggs. Mopping and vacuuming can enhance the productivity of treatment as they focus on finding entry points. After cleaning, don’t forget to completely wipe the vacuum as there can be pests inside it. Wrap the vacuum bag in plastic and discard it.
Inform Your Neighbors
If you have neighbors close to your home, inform them about your pest exterminating treatment. This is because there can be people who are prone to pesticides like:
- Young Kids
- Pregnant Women
- Elders
- People with allergies
It is best to stay on the safe side and inform them in advance, so if they are sensitive to pesticides, they can take proper measures. There are chances that your neighbors may also want a pest treatment.
Open Doors, Cabinets, and Drawers
Pests are very skilled at finding nooks where they can hide. Open all the doors, windows, cabinets, closets, and drawers to help the exterminators look for pest activity and find them. They can find the shelters of your unwanted guests and eliminate them.
What to Expect from Pest Exterminators?
The residential pest exterminating companies not only keep critters out of your home but also provide a safe and healthy environment to your family. However, you must know all duties of the exterminator before their arrival, so they don’t miss any point to eliminate unpleasant guests from your home.
Pest exterminating services usually offer these services:
- Examine your home for pests
- Checking the damages to your home
- Spray chemicals and pesticides
- Set preventive traps
- Give pest-proofing tips
If you have already hired expert exterminators, remember these tips and prepare your home for their arrival
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