Regular visits from your neighborhood exterminator include checks for changes or signs of pest activity, checking traps, and putting preventative measures in place to reduce pest populations. With regular visits, even if pests aren’t visible, pest control experts have the chance to inspect the infrastructure of your building or facility and look for new pest-related threats. In addition, regular visits actually help to keep pest management costs down.
For apartments and homes, we recommend regular pest control treatments on a quarterly basis, or 2 to 3 months, in order to effectively prevent common pests or when you move into a new home or apartment. For more serious infestations, monthly treatments over the course of 3 to 6 months are advisable. However, your location, building size, weather conditions, time of year, and type of pest can all impact the recommended frequency.
Here are some FAQ about pest control management we’ve often heard in the field.
How Long Does a Pest Control Treatment Last?
General pest control treatment—for spiders, moths, roaches, silverfish, pill bugs (roly-polies), etc.—lasts a few months and needs to be done quarterly.
A serious infestation of ants requires monthly visits are necessary for three to six months depending on the scope of the treatment.
Bed bugs require a specialized type of treatment. Bed bug treatment should last indefinitely, but that depends on if the source is properly found.
Overall, the frequency of your pest control treatment for your home or business depends on your location, your home or business size, the weather (such as rain), and the type of pest (as not all insects need the same treatment).
How Often do You Need to Spray for Roaches?
Spraying for roaches can be a long-term task: Your first treatment must be followed with several follow-up visits to reapply insecticides. Multiple visits are scheduled to ensure that the pests and any eggs are also exterminated. The amount of time needed to eradicate any infestation can vary depending on the severity of the infestation.
For a few weeks after the treatment, it’s normal to see a few roaches. However, the spray and poison left by Smithereen will keep working after the initial spraying, so they’ll be gone soon.
How Long Should Fumigation Last?
The fumigation process can take from three days to a week, so you should plan to be out of your house for those days. Fumigation typically last four years, but we recommend a termite inspection every two to four years to keep your home protected.
How Often Should Pest Control be Done in an Apartment?
After your apartment is treated, our Smithereen technician will set up a treatment schedule to prevent pests from coming back. We usually visit every two to three months, but if it’s a serious case, a monthly treatment may be required.
Do New Homes Need Pest Control?
Yes. Here’s why:
- Newly built homes may have cracks or gaps along the foundation, letting pests come in.
- Your home is open to the environment during much of the construction process, giving pests easy access into your home.
- Many of the building materials used in home construction are stored in open and often damp conditions prior to be used.
- Sometimes insects were already in the building materials.
- Insects are attracted to the high moisture levels in a new home.
- New homes are often built in areas that were just cleared, disturbing the dirt, brush, grass, and trees in which many pests were living.
- Leftover wood scraps attract termites.
- Food scraps can attract fruit flies.
- Accumulations of sawdust behind walls can grow mildew, and many pests feed on molds and mildew.
Our Smithereen team focuses on prevention, from ants to termites to rodents, so you never have to worry about pest infestations in your residence or business. If you want to keep your home or business protected from pests, contact Smithereen Pest Management today.