If you are someone who lives in a rental apartment, then it may be extremely common for you to experience the menace that pests like mosquitoes, cockroaches, ants or rats, etc, may create. It is really annoying to deal with pests that may be in the form of rats, spiders, cockroaches, and bugs, etc. Having experienced living in a rental apartment, I know that pests creep the heck out of us, but they are also carriers of dangerous and life-threatening diseases. It is important to get rid of them before they damage the whole apartment and spread to other places. I mean, they do spread fast if given the right breeding conditions.
If you look forward to getting rid of them, you must get in contact with your apartment manager or landlord and then hire a pest control service provider. Pest control service is the best way to get rid of annoying pests that may damage the whole house or cause diseases.
The primary services that the pest control company may offer are termite control treatment, cockroach control, and bed bug control, etc. However, it is not solely the responsibility of the pest control technicians to ensure that the house is free of pests. You have to do your part and act responsibly when it comes to getting pest control at your house.
In this article we are going to talk about what is pest control, where is pest control sprayed in apartments, what steps should one keep in mind before and after the pest control service, and more.
WHAT IS PEST CONTROL?
Pest control refers to regulating the unwanted spread of pests in one’s house. The pests could be in the form of rats, cockroaches, spiders, ants, and mosquitoes, etc. Extermination of pests is also a common way to get rid of pests, however, in comparison to pest control, exterminators do not provide a long-term solution. Different types of pesticides and bug sprays are used in order to get rid of pests from a house.
WHERE DOES PEST CONTROL SPRAYED IN APARTMENTS?
Before considering where pest control spray in your apartment, you may wonder where does bug spray is done in an apartment. That may actually depend on the number of pests found in a particular area. When technicians start treating your apartment, the following areas may be the common interest of treatment:
- Baseboards
- Entryways
- Cracks and crevices
- Any gaps between walls and cabinets, furniture, etc.
STEPS TO FOLLOW BEFORE AND AFTER PEST CONTROL SPRAY IN APARTMENTS
There are some steps that one may have to follow to ensure that you play a responsible part in getting the best service for pest control. These are some steps you should follow before and after the pest control spray in your apartment.
STEPS TO FOLLOW BEFORE PEST CONTROL SPRAY IN APARTMENTS
Following are the steps that you must keep in mind and follow before the pest control spray in apartments.
- If there are any heaps of dirty clothes or laundry lying around, make sure that you do not let them lay around like that. If there is any large piece of furniture, you must make sure that they are not in any corners. Make sure you place them away from the corners. This will provide easy access to the professionals during the time of bug spray. It is also important to keep them away from corners because most pests tend to thrive at the corners. This will ensure that your furniture is pest-free. During the treatment, your furniture will be free from any chemical spills or stains that may otherwise form on the furniture due to the pest control spray in your apartment.
- Make sure that any toys, jewelry, clothes, and furniture, etc are covered. They should not come in contact with the pest control spray. Ideally, you can cover them up in plastic wrapping and pack them away. Be careful and do not use masking tape since it is made of paper and may absorb the chemicals from the pest control spray if it comes in contact. Remove all the bedsheets, covers, mattresses, cushion covers, etc and pack them away. Make sure to cover the sofas, chairs, and beds, etc with plastic wrapping. Also, note that you must not use a cloth to cover your furniture as the chemicals may penetrate through the cloth.
- For the kitchen and the dining area, you must be extra careful! Make sure that you clear out your dustbin. You need to gather all your cutlery like glasses, plates, spoons, etc, and store them away carefully. Kitchen cabinets and countertops attract a lot of pests including termites. If possible, make sure to unplug your kitchen appliances and keep them somewhere safe. If not possible, unplug them and wrap them in plastic wraps. Also, make sure to cover the water outlets with plastic wraps. Do not use the sinks of the kitchen for storage since they will also be treated and sprayed. When it comes to food make sure that you cover food items in thick plastic. This is because pests easily chew out thin plastic and are carriers of diseases. They may pass dangerous diseases via food. Make sure that you protect your edibles properly. You may have to unplug your refrigerator. Make sure to get rid of the perishables as soon as you can.
- If you have pets, make sure you provide them with enough protection. Pets are specifically very sensitive to the chemicals sprayed out during pest control spray. If possible, drop your pet off somewhere else. A neighbor or a good friend would suffice. Make sure you store their utilities safely, including their toys, food, and bedding, etc. You can always take your pet to a vet and get them checked. Get them treated for a tick or flea treatment from a vet. If you have water friends like fish, make sure you provide protection to the aquariums by wrapping them tightly with plastic. During the time of bug spray, make sure your fish has enough food to sustain on. If you use any air pumps for your aquariums, make sure you turn them off as chemicals may travel into the aquarium and harm your water pets.
- If you have any decorative items at your house, like paintings or flower pots, try to keep them away for the duration of the pest control spray in apartment. If not possible, wrap them properly in plastic wrapping. You may want to place your plants away as wrapping them with plastic is not such a good idea. The plants may just wither away due to being covered in plastic.
- In your bathroom, make sure to ensure that your toothbrushes, razors, and other stuff are safely packed away. This is because you make direct contact with these things and it is best to not let them come in contact with your body if they have been contaminated with chemicals. You may also want to replace your old shampoos, soaps, detergents, etc with new ones after pest control spray in your apartment.
STEPS TO FOLLOW WHERE PEST CONTROL IS SPRAYED IN APARTMENT AND TO DO AFTER THAT
Following are the steps that you must keep in mind and follow where the pest control spray in apartments and to do after that.
- If you were not at home during the time of the treatment, then you must wait for some appropriate amount of time before going back. You may refer to your pest control technician to know when is the best time to return home.
- If there was any food that you may have left outside, make sure that you discard it immediately. The food that has once been contaminated with pest control chemicals is not at all healthy for you. Even if organic pest control chemicals were used, it is still not healthy for you to consume that food. You must get rid of the contaminated food as soon as possible.
- Do not go on a cleaning spree after the treatment. I understand that you may have an urge to get the house deep cleaned immediately after the treatment. However, if you do clean the house, it may reduce the effectiveness of the pest control as you may wipe off any treated areas. You will be notified via your pest control technician about when is the best time to deep clean your house. It is usually recommended to not deep clean the house for at least a week. Do not worry, the technicians will not leave behind a mess. They are professionally trained to clean and pest control the house.
- After the treatment, if you find any leakages or plumbing faults, it is advised that you must get them repaired immediately. Make sure that these are repaired as soon as possible because any form of leakage may give the house to pests for re-infestation.
- Make sure that you do not leave any paper lying around. Wet paper can be an attractive source for infestation by pests. It is strictly advised to not store any old newspapers or old magazines near the kitchen. The kitchen is an extremely important area where you must keep an eye out for any source of infestation.
- When you treat sprayed areas for the first time, make sure to wear disposable gloves. It is important for you to protect yourself. When you are treating the furniture or other things that you wrapped in plastic, make sure that you do not touch the surfaces with naked hands.
- As the days proceed, you may find a lot of dead pests around your apartment. If there are any spots in your house where pests may especially accumulate, try to keep them clean and keep an eye out for re-infestation. Make sure you clean the area often as dead pests can be a source to attract more pests in the house.
Before, during, and after the treatment make sure that you comply with the pest control technicians and abide by their rules.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CONDUCTING PEST CONTROL IN THE APARTMENT?
The responsibility for conducting pest control may usually depend from state to state. However, the responsibility of pest control in a rental property generally falls on the landlord. It is important for landlords to make sure that their tenants have a comfortable space to live in. You should also check how often should pest control be done in an apartment.
However, you should also ensure some steps to make sure that the pests do not attack your apartment. Following are some steps that you can follow in order to ensure that your apartment is pest-free:
- Keep your kitchen clean, ALWAYS! The kitchen is one of the most common places in a house where pests may usually start infesting. Once these pests start leeching on your food, there is no going back. Food attracts a lot of pests like rats, cockroaches, etc. In order to get rid of the creepy pests, you need to make sure that you keep your kitchen clean. Always wipe your countertops, and table after every meal. The focus of cleanliness should not always be just sinks, tables utensils but also the kitchen appliances you use while cooking.
- If you have any cluster of storage boxes or papers stacked together, make sure you get rid of them. These bunch of storage boxes crumpled together can be a breeding ground for pests. Make sure you regularly clean your storage room. Being lazy and not cleaning it every once in a while, is going to cost you a lot more than money. You may be forced to get rid of important papers or photographs that may have been damaged because of pests.
- Do not let moisture accumulate around in your house! It is so, so, so important to make sure that there are no unnecessary moist areas in your house. Pests, just like humans, need moisture to survive. Make sure to check for any water leakages, broken pipes, etc, that may cause an accumulation of moisture.
 In short, you can take the following steps to make sure that pests don’t infect your apartment:
- Get in a habit of washing and putting away dishes to dry after use.
- Wipe the countertops of the kitchen after every meal and keep your kitchen clean.
- Keep your house clean by cleaning and mopping the house regularly
- Make sure to regularly deep clean your house and get rid of any clutter in the house that may accumulate and give a breeding ground for pests
- Get any water leakages repaired as soon as you detect them.
ARE THERE ANY SIDE EFFECTS OF THE PEST CONTROL TREATMENT ON YOUR HEALTH?
Pest control service comes with a lot of adjustments that one may have to make. It is also not a secret that the chemicals used for pest control are hazardous. These chemicals may not be lethal to humans but are still poisonous to some degree. If you are sensitive to such chemicals or have certain allergies, then you can leave the house for the time while the pest control spray is going on in your house.
Organic pest control chemicals, however, extracted from natural resources, are not as strong as synthetic chemicals in treating pests. You must inform the pest control technicians and professionals beforehand about any allergies or sensitivity that you or your family members may have.
Following are some symptoms of allergies that one may experience:
- Irritation and pain in the throat
- Troubles in breathing
- Dizziness
- Eyes get watery
- Itchiness in eyes
- Reddening of skin or appearance of rashes
- Skin that gets itchy
Make sure that pregnant women stay away from the area of pest control under all circumstances. Being around toxic chemicals can cause complications and medical problems.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE PEST CONTROL SPRAY IN YOUR APARTMENT?
The process of pest control is usually very quick and generally lasts for around 10 to 15 minutes. The pest control technicians go around the apartment to spray the pest control chemicals in spots where the pests may prevail in a large quantity. If there are big pests like cockroaches, ants or rats, etc, the technicians may also set up traps to catch them in addition to spraying the pest control chemicals.
FINAL WORDS ON PEST CONTROL SPRAY IN YOUR APARTMENT
You may need a frequent pest control service depending on the number of pests that infest your apartment. If the pests are gone with just a one-time service, then the frequency of the pest control service maybe not be as frequent. However, you may need a monthly or quarterly pest control service to get rid of pests from your house.
Make sure that you oblige by the instructions given by your pest control technicians and fulfill your responsibilities regarding pest control. In no time, your place will become pest-free. It is absolutely necessary to maintain hygiene and cleanliness in your house. You need to play an active role in ensuring that your house is clean and is not becoming a breeding ground for pests.
