Before and After Pest Control: How to Prepare, Pets and How Long It Lasts

Before any pest control visit: the basic checklist

These steps help with almost every visit:

1. Clear access to problem areas. Empty the cabinet under the kitchen and bathroom sinks. Move things away from baseboards. Clear a path to the attic hatch, crawl space entrance, water heater and garage walls.
2. Put food away. Store food, dishes, utensils and small appliances in closed cabinets or the fridge, or cover them.
3. Pick up pet bowls, toys and bedding from areas that will be treated.
4. Make notes. Where did you see pests, droppings, trails or damage? When? How many? This helps the inspection.
5. Keep a sample if you can, in a sealed bag or on clear tape.
6. Unlock gates and tie up dogs so the outside of the home can be inspected.
7. Ask about products. In California, the company must give you written notice about the pesticides it plans to use before applying them. Read it and ask questions.

For help picking the right company first, see how to choose a pest control company.

Kids, pets and pest control

This is the question we get most. The answer depends on the product and where it is used, so always follow the specific instructions you are given.

General rules:
– Keep kids and pets out of treated areas until sprays are dry, or for as long as you are told.
– Move pet food and water bowls, litter boxes, toys and pet beds out of treated areas.
– Fish tanks: cover them and turn off the air pump during treatment if sprays are used nearby.
– Birds and small pets (hamsters, reptiles) are more sensitive. Move them to another room or out of the house during treatment.
– Keep kids and pets away from bait stations and traps.
– Tell the company about pregnancy, allergies, asthma or anyone with health concerns before the visit.

Many treatments today use baits, traps, gels in cracks and targeted applications instead of broad spraying, which keeps products away from where people and pets spend time.

Prep by pest

Ants and cockroaches

• Clean counters, floors and the stovetop well before the visit, so baits are not competing with crumbs.
• Empty under-sink cabinets.
• Do not spray store-bought products for a few days before. They can scatter pests and make baits less effective.
• For German cockroaches, pull the fridge and stove out a little if you can.

See our ant control and cockroach exterminator pages.

Rats and mice

• Clear access to the attic, garage walls and crawl space.
• Note where you hear noises and when.
• Pick up pet food, bird seed and fallen fruit outside.
• Do not seal any holes yourself before the visit. Rodents can get trapped inside.

See our rodent control in Vallejo page.

Bed bugs

Bed bug prep makes or breaks the treatment. You will get a full checklist for your treatment type, but most include:

• Wash and dry bedding, curtains and clothing on the hottest dryer setting for at least 30 minutes, then seal them in clean plastic bags.
• Do not move items from the treated rooms to other rooms.
• Reduce clutter, especially under and around beds.
• Empty nightstands, dressers and closets in the bedroom, or as instructed.
• Pull furniture a little away from walls.
• Vacuum mattresses, furniture and floors, then seal and throw out the bag.
• For heat treatments, remove heat-sensitive items like candles, medications, aerosol cans, vinyl records, electronics and anything that can melt, as directed.
• Do not throw out furniture without asking first.

See our bed bug exterminator in Vallejo page.

Termite tenting (fumigation)

Tenting is the biggest prep job. It usually means being out of the house for a few days, often two to three nights. Your fumigation company will give you exact instructions, but expect to:

• Leave the house: everyone, including all pets and plants.
• Bag food and medicine: food, medicine and anything you put in your mouth that is not in a factory-sealed can or glass jar goes into special fumigation bags supplied by the company, or leaves the house.
• Open doors and drawers inside the home so the gas can reach everywhere.
• Turn off the gas service. The fumigation company usually coordinates this with PG&E and the pilot lights will need relighting after.
• Turn off heating, air conditioning and fans.
• Water the soil around the foundation the day before, as instructed.
• Trim plants back from the walls so the tarps can be laid down.
• Take plastic or waterproof covers off mattresses and pillows, unless you are told otherwise, so the gas can get through.
• Leave keys for every door, including the garage.
• Arrange somewhere to stay for you and your pets.

Our termite control in Vallejo page explains tenting and local termite treatment.

After pest control: what to do

When can you go back inside?

For most general pest treatments, you can go back in once sprays have dried. For tenting, you can only go back in once the fumigator has tested the air and cleared the house. Always follow the exact time you are given.

Open windows

Open windows and run fans for a while after a spray treatment if you were told to.

When to clean

• Wait before mopping or wiping baseboards and treated edges. Treatments along baseboards and cracks need time to work. Ask how long to wait.
• Wipe counters and tables where food is prepared before using them, if they were treated.
• Leave baits and traps alone. Do not wipe them away or move them.
• After tenting, the gas used does not leave a residue on surfaces, so you do not need to wash everything. Wash any food prep items that were left out, just in case.

Do not spray store-bought products

Spraying over baits makes pests avoid them and can undo the treatment.

Expect to see some pests for a while

• Cockroaches: you may see more for a week or two as baits draw them out. That is normal.
• Ants: more ants on the bait at first is a good sign. Do not kill them.
• Rodents: traps keep catching for a few days to two weeks. Noise should drop as entry points are sealed.
• Bed bugs: a few may show up after treatment. Report them, since a follow-up is usually part of the plan.
• Termites: with tenting, termites die but you may still see old pellets. Clean them up and watch for new ones.

Keep up the good habits

Store food in sealed containers, keep moisture down, fix leaks, keep plants trimmed back from the house and seal gaps. This is what makes a treatment last.

How long does pest control last?

It depends on the pest and the treatment:

Treatment	How long it typically works	Notes
General pest perimeter treatment (ants, spiders, earwigs)	About 1 to 3 months	Weather, rain and irrigation wear it down; many homes choose quarterly service
Ant and cockroach baits	Weeks to a few months	Ongoing service helps for homes with repeat problems
Rodent trapping and sealing	Long-lasting if entry points stay sealed	New gaps, landscaping and wear can let rodents back in
Bed bug treatment	Long-lasting once eliminated	Reinfestation can come from travel, used furniture or neighbors
Termite tenting	Kills drywood termites in the home at the time	It does not prevent new termites from flying in later
Subterranean termite soil treatment	Several years	Depends on the product and soil conditions

In Vallejo, rain from fall through spring and our mild climate mean ants and other outdoor pests come back each season. That is why many homes here choose regular service instead of one-time treatments.