What To Do After Pest Control Sprays
Knowing what to do and not do after a pest control spray application will help ensure an effective treatment while keeping your family safe and healthy.
Written by Jacoba Bood
Reviewed by Carrie Adkins
Table of Contents
- Wait it out
- Discard exposed food
- Avoid the urge to clean
- Don't leave food exposed
- Clean up remains
- Home insurance
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If you are planning on investing in a professional pest control spray treatment, you want to make sure that treatment is effective as possible.
That being said, you might be left scratching your head as to the next steps to take after receiving a spray. Is it okay to clean? Will your family and household pets be safe?
It’s important to note that newer pesticides are not the same stinky noxious treatments that they used to be. These scentless products are more difficult for pests to detect, and therefore, will continue to eradicate the problem long after the initial treatment. Generally speaking, most common pest treatments will take anywhere from three to six weeks to run their full course in the treated area, so it is important that you know what to expect during this time.
So, here's what to do after pest control sprays, with a little help from
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Wait it out
In some cases, you might have to leave the property for a certain period of time during and after the treatment. If there are pets and children involved, it is always a reasonable precaution to take a few hours away from home regardless.
Always be sure to wait at least for the recommended time before returning to the home, but staying away a bit longer doesn’t hurt either.
MORE: How to get bugs off your car: A handy guide
Discard exposed food
Ideally, you will have had time to stash away any exposed food beforehand. However, in real life, these kinds of things are easy to overlook.
If there is any food left exposed after a treatment, like, for example, fruit left out in a fruit basket or bread left open on the counter, don’t take any chances. Toss it in the trash.
MORE: How to remove bugs, tar, and sap from car paint
Avoid the urge to clean
A professional pest control technician will take care to leave floors and ledges clean and clear of debris, so avoid the urge to clean right after a pest control treatment. Cleaning could wash away some of the freshly deposited sprays and reduce the overall effectiveness of the treatment. Should you need to touch any freshly sprayed surface, be sure to wear gloves when doing so.
Be sure to ask the pest control providers how long to wait before sweeping, mopping, or wiping any surfaces and wait at least a week before diving in for any type of
deep cleaning project
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Don’t leave food exposed
To effectively control the pest problem, you also have to keep up your end of the deal. When pests don’t have food sources, they are much less likely to be able to replenish themselves, so don’t leave any snacks lying around for them to grab.
Keep in mind that pests aren’t as picky as people when it comes to food. Paper and cardboard make for an abundant food source for many types of common household pests, so if there ever was a good time to finally organize that home office, it's now.
Clean up the remains
In the days and weeks following the treatment, you will probably find some dead pests, especially in problem areas, and this is a good thing (although it may not seem like it in the moment). In the days and weeks immediately following the treatment, be sure to check problem areas frequently for pest remains and clean up anything you find right away since they can provide a food source for other pests. Expect there to be more activity in the days immediately following the treatment and then a gradual but steady decline in the weeks to come.
Don’t be surprised if you notice more pest activity following treatment as well. Increased activity is a sign that they are becoming uprooted, and it should begin to subside after the first week or two. Be sure to contact the pest control company again if this is not the case.
Where to find the best home insurance
Unfortunately, pests can do quite a bit of damage to your home. Luckily, your home insurance might be able to step in — especially if you have good coverage. For the best deal, try bundling home and
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