The short answer: for a routine exterior treatment, prep is simple. Unlock and unlatch the side gates so we can reach the whole perimeter, pull toys, planters, and furniture a foot or two off the foundation, pick up pet items from the yard, and bring pets indoors during the visit. Interior prep only applies when we are treating inside, and your technician will tell you in advance if that is the case.
Good news up front: preparing for pest control is mostly about access, not chores. The bulk of the work happens on the outside of your house, along the foundation and lower walls where pests cross to get in, so the single most useful thing you can do is make sure we can walk the full perimeter without a locked gate or a pile of stuff in the way. Here is the checklist, exterior first, because that is what most visits are.
Why prep is mostly about access
The core of a treatment is a continuous barrier around the base of your home. A product like the Bifen band in our general pest control only works if it is unbroken, so a stretch we cannot reach, behind a locked gate, under a stack of firewood, behind patio furniture pushed against the wall, is a stretch where pests still get through. Ninety percent of good prep is clearing that path. The rest is keeping pets and kids clear until it dries, which we cover on our page about how long after pest control it is safe.
The exterior checklist
Run through this before the visit and the technician can do a thorough, unbroken treatment.
- Unlock and unlatch the gates Side gates are the number one thing that stops a treatment short. Unlatch them, and if a gate sticks or a dog is behind it, let us know how to get in.
- Clear the foundation Pull planters, toys, furniture, garbage cans, and firewood a foot or two off the wall so we can treat the band behind them. This is where a lot of pests actually hide.
- Pick up pet items Bring in outdoor water bowls, food dishes, and chew toys from the yard, and note where any outdoor ponds or coops are so we route around them.
- Flag the problem spots A wasp nest under the eave, an ant trail on the patio, a spot where you keep seeing spiders. Point these out or leave a note, and we will target them.
- Secure pets and kids Bring dogs and cats inside for the visit, or leash them away from the work. They can return to the yard once the band dries.
Interior prep, only if we are treating inside
Most visits stay outside. When there is an active indoor problem and we are doing interior spot treatment, a little prep helps, and your technician will tell you which of these apply before the visit so nothing is a guess:
- Clear the specific spots. If we are treating under a kitchen or bathroom sink, take the items out of that cabinet so we can reach the corners and cracks.
- Wipe up food and crumbs. A clean counter means ants go to our treatment, not your leftovers, which makes the work more effective.
- Cover fish tanks. Cover an aquarium and turn off its air pump during any nearby indoor work, since the products are toxic to fish.
- Give pets a safe room. Put pets in an untreated room or a carrier until the treated spots dry, usually a couple of hours.
What to do after we leave
Prep does not end when the technician drives off. Two small habits protect the treatment you just paid for. First, hold off on watering against the foundation for a day or so, and do not power-wash or mop the treated band, because that washes the barrier away before it bonds to the surface. Second, give everything the dry time before pets and kids are back on it. On a recurring plan you often will not even need to be home, since we can do the exterior with gate access and leave the service note, one reason the quarterly plan is so low-effort to keep up.
Not sure what your visit needs? Book it and we will send the exact prep for your home, indoors or out.
Get a Free Quote →Prep questions, answered
Do I need to be home for a pest control treatment?
Not for a standard exterior visit, as long as the side gates are unlocked and we can reach the whole perimeter. Many recurring customers are at work when we come and just get the service note afterward. You do need to be home, or arrange access, when we are treating the inside of the house. If you want to point out problem spots in person, being there for the first visit helps.
Should I clean my house before the technician comes?
No deep clean is needed for an exterior treatment. If we are treating inside, a light tidy helps: clear the floor under the sinks or in the corners we will reach, and wipe up food crumbs so ants are drawn to our treatment, not your counter. The one thing not to do is mop or power-wash the treated band right after a visit, since that washes away the barrier you just paid for.
What should I do with my dog or cat during the treatment?
Bring pets inside during an exterior visit, or keep them leashed well away from the areas being treated. Once the outdoor band dries, usually 30 to 60 minutes, they can use the yard normally. For interior work, keep pets in an untreated room until the spots dry. Point out fish tanks and outdoor ponds ahead of time, since the products are toxic to fish and we route around them.
Do I need to move furniture or empty my cabinets?
Only when we are treating inside those specific areas. For a routine exterior visit you move nothing indoors. If we are doing interior spot treatment under a kitchen or bathroom sink, clearing the items out of that cabinet so we can reach the corners is all we ask. We will tell you which spots, if any, need clearing before we arrive, so nothing is a surprise.
Should I mow or water the lawn before or after the visit?
Mowing a day or two before helps, since a shorter lawn lets the perimeter band land where pests travel rather than on tall grass blades. Do not water right before the visit, and hold off on running sprinklers against the foundation for a day or so after, so you do not wash the fresh band away before it bonds. Timing the watering is the part that protects how long the treatment lasts.