How to Prepare Your Home for Pest Control Service

Ask for preparation instructions that match the treatment you are receiving. Make inspection areas accessible, tell the provider where activity occurs and follow directions for pets, food, belongings and re-entry; requirements vary by product and service.

What should you do before the technician arrives?

Tell the technician where you have seen activity and make the requested inspection areas accessible. Clear stored items from the areas identified in your preparation instructions. Ask before moving heavy appliances or disconnecting any appliance connections; preparation should match the planned service.

Reference: Follow label instructions and ask for product-use information. EPA: Pest prevention and pesticide use.

Secure Pets and Sensitive Items

Follow the technician's product-specific directions for securing pets, protecting aquariums and handling food and water bowls. We use EPA-registered products according to label directions. Keep people and pets out of treated areas for the period specified by the label and technician; drying and re-entry requirements vary.

Trim Exterior Vegetation

Trim vegetation at least 12 inches from your home exterior. Overgrown landscaping touching your house creates bridges for pests to bypass our perimeter barrier.

Give Access to Key Areas

Make sure your technician can access the garage, crawlspace, and outdoor storage buildings. These areas often harbor the heaviest pest populations and are the source of many interior invasions.

Store food and clean your home's problem areas

Most pest control treatment inside a home focuses on the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room and garage, because those are the areas where cockroach and ant activity usually starts. Before the visit, store food in sealed containers or the refrigerator, put away pet food, and wipe crumbs off countertops and the area around the stove. Empty the trash. Do not clean around an existing bait placement unless the technician tells you to; bait only works where pests can reach it.

A quick, thorough cleaning helps the technician see signs of pests instead of crumbs and residue. It is not a substitute for the inspection: tell the technician what you have seen, where and when.

Clear clutter and move furniture away from the walls

Baseboards, cabinet edges and the gaps behind appliances are where many crawling pests hide, so the technician needs to reach them. Move furniture and small appliances a few inches away from the walls where you can do so easily, and clear clutter from under sinks and closet floors. Stacked cardboard in the basement, attic or garage gives pests potential hiding spots and easy access to the house; ask whether those areas will be treated so you know what to remove items from.

If an area is hard to reach or locked, say so ahead of time. An inaccessible room or crawl space is recorded on the service report rather than assumed to be inspected.

Help the pest inspection find the source

A pest inspection looks for the conditions behind an infestation, not only the insects. Point out leaks, standing water, damp spots under sinks, rodent droppings or gnaw marks, and any mud tubes on the foundation, which call for a separate termite assessment. On the exterior of your home, the technician checks door sweeps, gaps around pipes and other entry points; sealing entry points is often part of the conversation about preventing future infestations.

Personal items, fish tanks and post-treatment steps

Put away toys, toothbrushes and other personal items in rooms that will be treated. If the label or technician directs, cover fish tanks and turn off aquarium air pumps during the application. After the visit, follow the post-treatment directions for re-entry and for cleaning treated baseboards and floors, and keep the service report so you know which products were used.

Avoid DIY pest products in the days before and after service unless you have discussed them with the pest control company. A store spray can push insects deeper into walls or away from a bait.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to leave the house during pest control? It depends on the product and the area treated. Ask the office before the appointment and follow the label and the technician's re-entry directions.

Should I clean before or after pest control? Clean before, so surfaces and problem areas are visible. Afterward, ask which treated surfaces you can clean and when.

How do I prepare for an exterior-only service? Unlock gates, move items stacked against the foundation, and trim plants back so the technician can treat the perimeter.

After Treatment

Ask which treated surfaces may be cleaned and when, and follow the product label and technician's instructions. Record the pest, location and timing of any activity after service. More visible insects alone do not establish that treatment is working; contact the provider about persistent or unexpected activity instead of applying another product on top of the treatment.

What should you ask before the technician leaves?

Ask which areas were inspected, what preparation is needed for any follow-up and which maintenance items are your responsibility. Keep the service report so you can refer to the actual products and directions. If an area was inaccessible, ask how it will be checked later instead of assuming the whole property was inspected.

Our first-visit guide explains the appointment itself. Read what insect activity after service can mean before adding another product, or see our pest control service page for the overall approach. For directions specific to your appointment, contact the office.

Questions before your service? Call your nearest EnviroCare office:

• Birmingham — (205) 991-2882
• Alabaster / Shelby County — (205) 940-6360
• Lake Martin / Alex City — (256) 234-6162
• Huntsville — (256) 937-7676