Most people don’t realize they need to prepare their house before the exterminators arrive. This involves getting things away from the wall, noting where the pests are most often observed, and making sure all food items are properly stored.
But, you may also not realize the importance of cleaning your house after the pest control experts have left!
A successful pest control visit means that your pests will be killed. However, this doesn’t mean they will all die during the visit. It can take several days for the pests to all die from the chemicals that the professionals have used.
That’s why you need to clean your house properly after the visit and take as many precautions as possible to prevent it from happening again.
Clean Daily
Any pests that have died will need to be cleared away, if not they can become food for other bugs or simply attract more bacteria. This means vacuuming every day and mopping the floor with a disinfectant solution.
The trick when cleaning is to start at one end of your home and work your way through the house methodically, this will ensure the waste from the pests and any other debris is contained and removed.
It is worth noting that sweeping or even mopping is not enough by itself. Doing sweeping or mopping will agitate the dirt and potentially send dust into the air for you to breathe in. This could be a health issue, especially if you already suffer from asthma or something similar.
To help prevent this you need to use a spray bottle of water and lightly cover all the surfaces, this will prevent the dust from rising into the air. You can then safely sweep or even vacuum the area and be confident that the dust and other debris are going into the bin, where it belongs.
It’s important not just to do the floor but to wash every surface that could have had a pest on it, even if this is a surface that isn’t usually used. Cleaning up properly will make it less attractive to a new pest invasion.
Don’t forget after cleaning your house you need to wash your hands thoroughly with soap, you should also consider washing your clothes on a hot cycle.
Check For Holes
A mouse can get through a hole as small as a pencil and rats can get through a hole the size of a quarter. You may have done this as part of your pre-treatment preparations, but, if you haven’t, you need to walk around your property and look for any gaps where a pest could get into your home. Pay particular attention to the areas around the doors and windows.
Verify Traps
It’s a good idea to put down some fresh traps after the professionals have been. This will provide you with a way to verify that all the pests have gone if you find anything in a trap you’re going to need to call the pest control experts back to check it out properly.
