Preparing Your Home for Pest Control: A Homeowner's Checklist

Preparing your home for pest control comes down to three things: take away the food and clutter pests rely on, give the technician clear access to where pests live, and keep people, pets and food out of the way of treatment. The EPA's advice is short and practical: complete any preparation the company asks for before the technician arrives, keep children and pets out of treated areas until sprays dry, and cover aquariums and turn off their air pumps. The checklist below fills in the details.

What happens during a pest control visit

Most visits start with an inspection to confirm the pest, find where it is living and spot how it is getting in. Treatment depends on what is found: baits and gels in cracks and crevices, targeted sprays or dusts in voids and along entry points, traps or monitors, and an exterior treatment around the foundation. Your part is to make those places easy to reach and safe to treat.

The general checklist (any pest)

A day or two before

• Declutter floors, closets, the garage and storage areas being treated, so the technician can reach baseboards, corners and entry points. Swap cardboard boxes for plastic bins with lids.
• Clean the kitchen. Sweep and mop, wipe counters, clean up grease around the stove and crumbs under appliances, and take out the trash.
• Stop using store-bought sprays unless your technician says otherwise, and tell them what you have used.
• Fix or note leaks under sinks and around appliances, and point them out on the day.
• Make a list of where and when you have seen pests. It speeds up the inspection.

The day of the visit

• Put food away in sealed containers or closed cabinets. Cover or put away dishes, utensils, cutting boards and small appliances in treated areas.
• Empty cabinets if asked, especially under the kitchen and bathroom sinks.
• Pick up pet bowls, toys and bedding from treated areas.
• Cover fish tanks and turn off their air pumps, as the EPA recommends.
• Plan for children and pets to stay out of treated areas until sprays have dried, or as long as your technician advises. Anyone with asthma or chemical sensitivities should mention it ahead of time.
• Give access. Unlock gates, move items blocking the attic hatch, crawl space door, water heater closet and garage walls, and put outside dogs in a safe place.

Extra preparation by pest

Cockroaches

• Empty the cabinets under the kitchen and bathroom sinks and wipe them out.
• Clean behind and under the stove, refrigerator and dishwasher if you can safely pull them out.
• Do not spray before the visit; it can push roaches deeper into walls and keep them away from baits.
• Keep cleaning after treatment so baits are the most appealing food around. See how to remove cockroaches.

Ants

• Note where trails start and end, inside and out.
• Clean up sweets and grease, but leave the trail itself for the technician to see.
• Do not spray the trail; repellent sprays can split colonies. See the Oklahoma ant ID guide.

Fleas

• Vacuum carpets, rugs, furniture and under cushions thoroughly, then empty the vacuum outdoors.
• Wash pet bedding, throw blankets and rugs in hot water.
• Treat your pets with a veterinarian-recommended product so the pet, the house and the yard are treated together.
• Mow the lawn a day or two before an outdoor treatment. See how to get rid of fleas and ticks in your yard.

Mice and rats

• Store food, pet food and birdseed in sealed containers.
• Clear stored items away from garage walls and attic access so the technician can find entry points and runways.
• Do not sweep or vacuum droppings; follow safe cleanup steps. See how to get rid of rodents.

Termites

• Clear stored items from the garage walls and from around the water heater and plumbing.
• Pull mulch, plants and debris back from the foundation, and move firewood and lumber away from the house.
• Make sure the crawl space is reachable.
• Save a few swarmers or wings in a sealed bag for identification. See I saw termite swarmers, now what?

Mosquitoes and outdoor treatments

• Dump standing water from buckets, toys, flowerpot saucers, tarps and birdbaths.
• Cover or move patio furniture cushions, grills, toys and pet dishes out of the treatment area.
• Bring pets and toys inside, and keep everyone off treated areas until they are dry.
• Close windows and turn off window fans on the side being treated.

After the treatment

• Follow re-entry instructions from the technician and the product label; air out rooms when they say to.
• Hold off on deep cleaning treated baseboards, cracks and outside walls for as long as your technician advises, and do not move bait stations.
• Keep up sanitation. Crumbs and open food compete with baits.
• Expect some activity for a while. Baits work through a colony over time, and affected insects may come into the open.
• Report what you see. If activity is not dropping after the timeframe you were given, call.
• Fix the conditions the technician pointed out: leaks, gaps, mulch against the siding. That is how results last. See what really draws pests inside.

Book with a local exterminator

If you are getting ready for a visit and are not sure what applies to you, just ask. Emtec Pest Control has served Oklahoma homes since 1979, and we tell you exactly what to do before we arrive and after we leave. Our preventative pest control plan starts with an initial service and continues with return visits. We are the exterminator for Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Owasso, Jenks, Bixby, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Stillwater, Oklahoma City and Edmond. Contact us to schedule.