For cockroach, flea, and bed bug treatments, we provide preparation guidelines. Click here to view them. We ask that you remove any food sources, do a general cleaning of the infested area, and clear any clutter/ debris.
Ants like your crumbs. So, clean them as best as possible. This includes cleaning under the appliances where food debris tends to accumulate. If ants are feeding on pet food, move the food dishes. they also sell ant-proof pet dishes. After removing food sources, it helps to wipe down the kitchen with a vinegar solution. This helps to remove their pheromone trails.
Keep an eye out for where they are popping out of the wall/ entering the living space. While ants may be feeding in the kitchen, they might be coming from the chimney in the living room. When treating ants inside, it is our goal to track the ants as far back to their nest as possible. Then apply control products to the crevices in which they emerge. If you are unsure of these areas, then please pre-bait. By placing capfuls of sugar water or honey in areas that you have been spotting ants, you will see their trails. This will allow a solid pheromone trail to develop before our arrival. As a result, you will see increased control. Otherwise we will be blindly treating a kitchen without much current activity.
Please refrain from spraying any store-bought ant killer before service. These sprays are generally pyrethroids. These will kill ants too fast. As a result, they counteract our slower acting products. Additionally, they can contaminate our bait. Finally, they can mess with their pheromone trails. In other words, you want a well-developed pheromone trail to track them back as far as possible. Then apply bait or another slow acting product. Spraying over the counter products does not allow for this. It will kill a few ants, but it has little effect on the colony unless you drench the nest. In some cases, over the counter sprays can cause budding. Which splits the ant colony. Not something you want to occur.
Many people are indecisive at the time of service, about what areas, they would like treated. During the spray season of March- November an exterior treatment is always included. This treats the structure to keep spiders from entering the structure. We include treating around sheds, and garages. But we do not treat away from structures generally. So, if you want some shrubs or a patio sprayed, you will have to let us know.
Our company attempts to reduce pesticide use indoors. We recommend that you set a threshold for pest levels. For example, if you saw one spider in your bedroom over the past year, it might not justify spraying in that area. If you have seen five in the past week, that might exceed your threshold. A pesticide application to that room would is then justified. Keep in mind, treated rooms will need to remain vacant until the spray has dried. If you want many areas of the living space sprayed, please plan on vacating the home. We can treat wherever you would like. And we cannot guarantee that you won’t see spiders in an untreated area. Most people opt to treat the exterior, basement, and attached garage. Leaving the occupied areas of the home untreated when spider sightings are low.
Educating our customers in ways they can reduce pest populations is key. With spiders you will want to focus on reducing the amount of light coming from your home after dark. This will attract flying insects in which spiders feed upon. Turning off outdoor security lights when not in use, goes a long way. Or you can switch to yellow light bulbs, or install motion detectors. Pulling your blinds/ curtains at night will produce results also. For example, many people keep the light on above the kitchen sink all night with a window right there.
Eliminating stored belongings helps also. Move firewood away from the home, or any other stored items that can become a spider habitat.
Please close windows before arrival. You can open them once treatment is complete.
We treat around windows, overhangs, porches, under the bottom siding, and the foundation. In most cases, this band extends a couple feet out from the foundation. As a result of this, please clear belongings away from the exterior perimeter of the home.
While we attempt to reduce drift, we do spray above our heads. Some of it falls down. So, move things like toys and strollers.
Wind up your hoses, rake up fallen leaves and move personal items so we can spray the foundation.
Reduce irrigation in the spray zone.
And pull weeds, especially flowering weeds. We do not spray flowering plants, even if they are weeds.
Having a solid band around the foundation helps control your pests. Help us by clearing the area and closing windows so we can treat uninhibited.