Customer Preparation Sheets

Collect any living or dead insect suspected to be a pest. Keep for technician to view. It helps our technicians if they can see evidence of pest activity. Do not spray over the counter products! Most pesticide sprays are repellents. Using these sprays in your home will lessen the effectiveness of our service. While it is good to leave any signs of pests as they are, you should clean any food debris and clutter. Areas that are to be treated with pesticides need to be clean from debris, food utensils, and open food containers. This includes pet feeding dishes. All loose belongings should be removed from along baseboards. Clutter must be minimized in effected areas. But do not relocate infested or potentially items.

ALL CHILDREN AND PETS MUST BE REMOVED FROM AREA THAT IS TO BE SERVICED PRIOR TO TECHNICIAN ARRIVAL.

We cannot properly inspect with children or pets present. Treatment cannot be performed until children and pets are secured in a separate area. Please dedicate two hours to be present for the appointment. Our service is very detailed and it may take an extended period of time. All tenants must contact landlord prior to scheduling an appointment. Landlord must directly give Lakewood Exterminating permission to treat their property beforehand. Plan to keep building occupants away from treated area for several hours. Some of our spray products must dry before reentry. Some products require air to be vented and circulated before reentry.

Download PDF Of Our Bed Bug Customer Preparation Guidelines

• Discontinue applying pest control products. Remove any dust formulations of pesticides from surfaces.

We cannot treat personal items or clothing. As a result, please follow the guidelines below.

• If you want to get rid of bed bugs, you need to clean and get rid of clutter.
• Dispose of any unnecessary belongings in infested rooms. Concentrate on areas within 6 feet of your resting areas (where you sit or sleep).
• Bag up or place other loose items that you are keeping in plastic storage totes. Do not relocate items from infested rooms into other areas of the home. In most cases, we will instruct you to put the items back in their place as soon as possible after the treatment. If the items have bed bugs, they can contact the control products while fresh. If we feel that we will have to retreat during the second visit, we will ask you to remain “packed up” until after the follow-up treatments are performed.
• If you dispose of beds or living room furniture, we recommend that you do so before the initial service and have the new furniture in place for us to treat.
• We can treat most furniture without you having to dispose of it. We sometimes recommend that highly infested furniture be disposed of. Follow your city’s refuse laws for disposing of infested furniture.

Preparation is generally not required in unoccupied rooms/ rooms where bed bugs have not been found. This generally includes spare bedrooms, dining rooms, offices, and the kitchen.

We will provide personalized preparation recommendations during the inspection. If you have questions about the preparation guidelines, please contact us.

• Wash all loose clothing, bedding, and curtains in infested rooms.
• Take clothing and other belongings out of all drawers, nightstands, tables, closets, wardrobes, and similar storage areas within 6 feet of the bed or any other resting area. We cannot treat this type of furniture unless it is cleared. Use the instructions above for non-clothing items cleared from this type of furniture. Depending on the level of infestation, it might not be necessary to clear out certain dressers or closets. We will instruct you on what furniture must be cleared during inspection. Although, if you take the time to clear it, we will take the time to treat it.
• For potentially infested clothing, bag it up and place it directly in the washing machine. Dispose of the garbage bags you use to move the clothing to the washing machine. If you move multiple bags of clothing and the bags are going to sit before being washed, tape the tops of the bags shut.

• Launder clothing/ bedding/ curtains in hot water and place into a dryer on the highest heat setting for a minimum of 30 minutes. The dryer must be capable of reaching temperatures greater than 104° F to kill all stages and must not be loaded to more than 50% capacity.
• Place all laundered items from the dryer directly into plastic bags and seal tightly.
• Any loose clothing (garments found outside a dresser or under the bed) must be bagged and laundered per the laundry directions above.
• Remove drapery in rooms, bag, and immediately launder. Alternatively, drapery may be vacuumed and treated with steam while hanging in the infested room. Hang the drapery back in its original position before the initial service.
• Items that cannot be washed but can be dried in the dryer should be placed on the highest temperature setting for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Any items that cannot be laundered in a home washing machine or dryer should be professionally laundered (dry cleaned).
• Articles under the beds provide an ideal place for bedbugs to hide. All clothing or garments must be laundered and bagged. Larger items stored under the bed should not be moved as bedbugs may be relocated into other areas of the structure.
• Ensure that all bags of freshly laundered items are tightly sealed. We recommend keeping them out of the treatment rooms until after the treatment(s) have been performed. In most cases, you can place laundered clothing back in its original place once the treatment has dried. We will instruct you if this is not the case.

Do a general cleaning of the rooms that are to be treated. The room should be empty of all clothing and plush items.

• Vacuum the floor extensively. Remove the vacuum bag immediately and discard it in an exterior garbage receptacle.
• You and your pets must vacate the premises during the service and not re-enter until at least 4 hours after treatment.
• Fish aquariums may be left on site. However, they should be covered, and air filters must be disconnected. Persons with underlying health conditions should consult their family physician if they have concerns regarding re-entry time.

Post Treatment Instructions

• When you return home, ensure all treated surfaces are COMPLETELY DRY before re-entry. If surfaces are not completely dry, leave for an extra 2 hours.
• If an offensive odor remains, ventilate thoroughly and leave for an additional 2 hours before attempting re-entry.
• Sleep in the treated beds as soon as possible and reoccupy other infested rooms, such as the living room. Bed bugs need their host (people to feed on) to be present. Otherwise, they will remain dormant and not move through the freshly applied, active pest control products.
• Finding a few straggler bed bugs within a week after the initial treatment is normal. If you find any live bed bugs after one week, take a picture or save them in a Ziploc bag.
• Wash your bedding within five days of the initial treatment. This is important. Sometimes, bed bugs will move to untreated areas post-treatment. This includes blankets, sheets, and pillowcases.
• We recommend regular bedding changes no more than once every two weeks.
• If you use dust covers or mattress pads, please do not reinstall them until after the follow-up inspection(s). Adding additional layers to the bedding can provide untreated areas for bed bugs to hide.
• Do not introduce any new or used furniture or other potentially infested items not previously in the unit.
• Do not apply your own pest control products during the service agreement.

Schedule a follow-up inspection approximately two weeks after the initial treatment. Then, we will reinspect. If live bed bugs are found, we will spot-treat those areas and repeat the inspection process in another two weeks. We will not return to the site if no live bed bugs are found during any inspection. You have the remainder of the service agreement to call us if you find a live bed bug. If you find one, please save it in a Ziploc bag or take a picture/ video.

In most cases, we do NOT recommend throwing away mattresses, box springs, or furniture, as these items can be inspected and treated successfully. When deciding what works for you, the cost of replacing beds and other furniture is something to consider. Replacing these items alone will not solve a bed bug problem. The decision to replace beds or furniture often depends on their condition and level of infestation within these items, your comfort, and whether you can afford a replacement.

The installation of high-quality bed bug mattress encasements is recommended. Any need to discard the mattress or boxspring is often eliminated once treated and covered by a high-quality bed bug mattress encasement. The encasements further reduce the likelihood that bed bugs will continue to live upon the mattress and box spring. Bed bug proof mattress encasements are widely available in stores and for purchase from your pest professional.

Do NOT cover your mattress or box spring with homemade or non-bed bug proof encasements. The pest professional will remove such encasements during treatment.

If you throw out your furniture, deface or otherwise damage furniture items so others will not use them. Mattresses should be slashed or otherwise damaged to make them unusable by others. Do not discard infested mattresses, furniture, clothing, or other items without properly wrapping them. Do not leave these items in common areas of the building (hallway, lobby, etc.). Follow building or municipal rules regarding disposing of infested items.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Lakewood Exterminating LLC makes no guarantees, expressed or implied. Pesticides are designed to kill or control pests. Pesticides, to be effective, are toxic to plants and animals and vary in the range of toxicity to humans. Your risk of harm depends upon your degree of exposure and your susceptibility. Take precautions when a pesticide treatment has been performed to avoid exposure to vulnerable individuals. Pesticides may be harmful if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. Avoid breathing dust, spray mist, and any unnecessary contact with treated surfaces. Specific health and safety information varies between pesticides and is available on the product label or MSDS, which will be supplied to you upon request from the licensed applicator. We also include the pesticide record on all invoices. In case of a health emergency, seek immediate medical attention.

Questions? Email support@lakewoodexterminating.com or Call (216) 466-2486.

Download Our German Cockroach Treatment Customer Preparation Guidelines

Prior To Treatment

• All children and pets must remain out of the treatment area while service is being performed. No one shall reoccupy treated areas until the product has dried. This takes approximately 3-4 hours.
• Perform a general cleaning of infested rooms.
• Remove and dispose of infested items stored in: Cabinets (upper and lower), pantries, drawers and storage bins in kitchen and bathroom areas. Place these items in plastic bags. Seal each bag, and place it outside.
• Vacuum all areas as you remove the items. This will eliminate roach feces and old carcasses. You can even vacuum up live roaches. Immediately empty the vacuum bag into a sealed container- outside.
• Take everything off the stove. Clean stove of any grease/ food debris.
• Pick up and remove pet food dishes and any food not in sealed containers.
• Take all garbage outdoors and place it away from the structure.
• Clear all counter space, except microwave ovens, blenders, other electric utensils. Knife blocks should be left on the counter as roaches love to hide in them.
• Clean behind and under the refrigerator, stove, or any similar item. Wipe down appliances.
• Repair any plumbing leaks prior to arrival.

After Treatment

• Make sure all liquid pesticide applications are dry before reoccupying the area.
• Clean up all dead roaches preferably by using paper towels. Remove all egg cases. 30 – 45 eggs are in each egg case.
• Wipe down food preparation surfaces before use.

Keys to keeping your home German Roach Free; Post Treatment.
German Roaches require 3 things, Food, Water, and Harborage. Take these away and get rid of roaches.

• FOOD: Be sure that countertops, stovetops, and floors are free from food scraps. These scraps provide food for these pests. Want to get rid of the roaches? Get rid of the food!
• WATER: Do not leave any water for these guys! At night, wipe up any excess water. Keep sink area, counters, stovetop, and floors free from water. Keep sink area and counters completely dry. Remember even the smallest drops provide enough water for German Roaches to survive.
• HARBORAGE: Roaches love cracks & crevices to hide and lay eggs. Seal all cracks around the kitchen counter. German Roaches will try to stay close to the sink (Water Supply). Seal all cracks with standard caulking.
• Clean all spilled foods from floors and countertops. We place baits in certain areas for the roaches to eat. If you leave even small crumbs they will not eat the bait.
• Keep food in tightly sealed containers or ziplock bags.
• Keep counter space clean of food and water at all times. Make sure floor is free from food remains.
• Take garbage out every day and keep outside garbage can away from the house.
• Do not leave pet food or water in a feeding dish overnight. Transfer pet food to a tightly sealed container once it is opened.
• Run dishwasher regularly.
• Roaches look for hiding places to lay their eggs. Be sure to clear clutter from countertops, cabinets, pantries.
• Clutter provides hiding places for roaches. Remove clutter and greatly reduce your roach population.
• Get rid of all boxes that store food. You are better off with the cereal bag than the box. Roaches love boxes, even ones that appear sealed. They love to get under the flaps. Ideal for laying eggs.
• Inspect all grocery bags for roaches before storing product. Yes believe it or not. Many times German Roaches come into your home via sources like grocery stores, restaurants and work.
• Discard any cardboard boxes immediately.

Download Our Flea Treatment Customer Preparation Checklist

To help maximize your treatment’s effectiveness, we’ve provided a flea treatment preparation checklist:

• Clear all carpeted floors ­ including closets (if possible)­ of boxes, clothing and any other items that will prevent a thorough and effective treatment.
• Wash (in hot water) or destroy all pet bedding.
• Mop wood, tile and vinyl floors.
• Vacuum all carpeting and rugs thoroughly.
• Carefully vacuum pet resting areas ­ including under furniture and draperies.
• Window sills and appliance tops should to be cleaned if you have cats that rest on them.
• Vacuum furniture ­ especially between and under cushions.
• Empty the contents of the vacuum cleaner into a plastic trash bag and dispose of immediately.
• Remove pets from the home (prior to application).
• Store or cover all pet food containers and bowls.
• Cover fish bowls or fish tanks with a damp towel.
• Arrange to have dogs, cats and other flea ­infested pets professionally treated by your veterinarian or groomer during the time of service.
• Be prepared to vacate the dwelling during service and for about 4 hours following service. This will give the necessary time for the products to dry.

After the treatment, please continue to vacuum all carpeted surfaces daily for 7 days after the service. It is also beneficial to wax hardwood floors a few days following the final treatment.

Download A PDF Of Our Ant Treatment Customer Preparation Guidelines

If ants are in kitchen:

• Clear kitchen counter tops of everything besides large appliances, like microwave.
• Clear sink of dishes.
• Clean kitchen floor and underneath refrigerator and stove. Vacuum crevice along kickplate of kitchen cabinets.
• Do disturb ant trails.
• Do not spray cleaner or over the counter pesticides on ants or in areas to be treated.
• If dealing with carpenter ants, research history of home’s water problems.
• If dealing with carpenter ants, check to see if gutters are free flowing without clogs.
• Schedule garbage to be removed at the end of every day.

If ants are are not in kitchen, follow the same general sanitation practices. Do not use your own pesticides. After treatment occurs, follow technician’s repair and maintenance guidelines.