Getting ready
A little prep makes the treatment work.
Most treatments need very little from you. Bed bugs need the most. Here is what to do before we arrive, and when you can go back in.
The bed bug checklist
Do these the day before your first treatment. If something on the list is hard for you, tell us when you book and we'll work it out together.
For ants, mice, wasps and cockroaches you usually don't need to do anything but clear the area under the sink and give us a path to the baseboards.
- Wash and bagWash bedding, curtains and bedroom clothes, dry them on high for 30 minutes, and seal them in clear bags.
- Empty the furnitureEmpty nightstands and dressers into sealed bags so we can treat inside them.
- Pull beds outMove beds and couches about 30 cm away from the walls.
- Vacuum, then bin itVacuum floors, mattress seams and baseboards. Seal the bag or canister contents in plastic and take it outside.
- Leave the mattressStrip it but leave it in place. Please don't throw it out before we see it.
- Clear the floorPick up clutter, especially under the bed, so we can reach every baseboard and outlet.
- Keep things in the roomDon't move belongings to another room or a friend's place. That's how bed bugs spread.
- Tell us what's sensitiveCribs, medical equipment, a home office. We plan around them.
Everyone else in the house
Pets, fish tanks and kids
Cats and dogs
Take them with you, or keep them in a room we aren't treating with their food, water and litter. Put pet bowls and toys away first. Birds and reptiles should leave the home for the day.
Fish tanks
Cover the tank with plastic wrap and switch off the air pump while we treat and for four hours after, so it doesn't pull air from the room.
Kids
Out of the rooms we treat until surfaces are dry. Put toys in a closed bin. We never spray cribs or children's mattresses; we use steam and encasements there.
Going back in
When it's safe to go back in
Your technician confirms the time before leaving. These are the usual times.
| Treatment | What we use | Back in |
|---|---|---|
| Ants or cockroaches, inside | Small dots of gel bait in cracks and hinges | Right away. Don't wipe the dots. |
| Mice and rats | Traps and locked bait stations | Right away. Leave the stations where they are. |
| Bed bugs or a heavy cockroach job | Spray in cracks and along baseboards, dust in wall voids | After 4 hours, once surfaces are dry |
| Wasp nest | Dust or spray at the nest entrance | Stay in. Keep windows on that side shut for 2 hours. |
| Ants, outside | Granules and spray along the foundation | Keep kids and pets off it for about 2 hours, until dry |
On the day
What happens when we come
Most visits take under two hours. Bed bug treatments can take three.
We call ahead
You get a call or text when we're 30 minutes away.
A walk-through
About 15 minutes looking at the signs with you.
The treatment
45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the pest and the space.
What to watch for
We go over what we did and what you might see in the next days.
Notes and next visit
Written notes by text or email, and the follow-up booked.