Preparing your home for a pest inspection is crucial in order for a treatment to be effective as well as to prevent re-infestation. However, most pest control services do not cover the preparation of your home, so it’s a step in the process that’s left up to us. To make sure we receive an effective treatment it’s important that we properly prepare each area so that pest problem is ended swiftly, and without risking it to reoccur.
One of the most frequent problems during an inspection is the inability to easily access different home areas due to clutter. If a room’s cluttered, inspectors won’t be able to access all those hard-to-reach areas and be able to provide adequate treatment, so a little beforehand work is required. Don’t hesitate to contact the pest control team as well, for they will give you the do’s and don’ts of your particular problem.
You should move away anything that could get in the way: dirty laundry, dishes, trash, furniture and even plants. Also, make sure to vacuum your carpets, to scrub the floor, and to wipe the kitchen surfaces, so there won’t be any food crumbs left.
Don’t forget to provide the specialists with keys to any locked areas of your home or they simply won’t be able to access them, making the treatment incomplete and re-infestation very likely.
Move any furniture away from the walls to provide needed access to those hard-to-reach areas, where pests usually love to hide and to nest. The team of specialists will then be easily able to apply the chemicals, which will get rid of the problem, and make re-infestation much less likely to occur.
It’s good to know that the favourite hiding places of pests usually are:
The kitchen is the most attractive area to pests, so make sure you store away any food prior the treament to avoid contamination. You should also store away any utensils, cutlery, glassware, and mugs as well. If you simply don't have the available space for that, you could still leave them on the countertop, but just make sure they're fully wrapped in plastic before and some time after the treatment.
If your home was built on raised foundation, you should also clear the crawl space enough so that the inspector could get easily into it. These enclosed areas are typically where important home elements are located such as the plumbing, ventilation, electrical components, as well as gas hookups.
Crawl spaces are also attractive areas to all kinds of pests, so they should be checked out as well. Remove any items in the front that may be impeding access to the entrance (this might include some vegetation or bushes as well), and make sure that nothing is stored underneath that will prevent the inspectors from doing their work.
To protect our pets and to make sure they do not distract the pest control team, we should temporarily relocate them somewhere else, as they are very sensitive to chemicals. Store their beddings, cages, and toys away from the house as well.
You should also check any open cat or dog food boxes, as they might be infested as well (proper storage here is key). During the treatment process you could also check your pets for ticks and fleas just to make sure that you are returning to a completely pest-free home.
You should also prepare each room and make sure you pay special attention to certain items that are directly exposed to you.
Living Room:
Kitchen:
Bathroom:
Bedroom:
Your attic or basement could be infested with various pests who seek shelter and food, so it’s very important to provide access to both.
First, you want to make sure to leave the doors unlocked (or at least leave a key), so that the inspectors could access them. If those areas are locked, and there are no means to open them, the inspectors will simply make a note that they are inaccessible and you won’t be able to get a proper treatment.
You should also clear away anything that might be obstructing the entry points of the attic or basement, as well as make sure there will be no unpleasant surprises like falling boxes or objects.
If the place is infested with termites, you might want to consider saying goodbye to cardboard boxes.
For safety reasons, you and your family should vacate the premises for at least 4 hours after the treatment. If someone in your home is pregnant or sensitive to allergies, it’s advisable to wait even a bit longer. The same goes for toddlers and young children.
After the treatment and before the entire family can return, someone should come home to ventilate well for at least half an hour by opening all the windows.
Preparing for a pest inspection can be a bit stressful, but to make sure it ensues maximum results, we should strive to properly prepare our home beforehand. Failing to do so won’t hurt anyone but us, so it’s important to give that little extra effort to make sure the job could be carried out properly and that the pest problem is solved as quickly as possible.
