What happens during a pest control visit, and how long does it take?
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
What happens first?
An inspection. Before any product goes down, the technician should find and identify the pest and work out how much of it there is. The EPA's integrated pest management principles start with monitoring and identifying pests accurately, so that pesticides are not used when they are not needed, or the wrong kind is used. Penn State Extension says correct identification typically requires a visit to the site, and lists "Can you show me the pest or evidence of the pest?" among the questions to ask.
How long the inspection takes depends on the pest and the house. For termites, Penn State says all woodwork in suspect areas should be probed for soundness and checked for mud tubes, with most Pennsylvania infestations found in basements and the timbers just above the cellar walls. For bed bugs, the EPA says to expect the professional to inspect the home and take furniture apart if necessary.
Do they need your permission?
Yes. Pennsylvania's pesticide regulation, 7 Pa. Code Chapter 128, says a business may not apply pesticides to someone's property without first getting permission from the owner or the occupant in control of it. In practice, that means you agree to the plan, the products and the areas to be treated before work starts.
Who will do the treatment?
A certified applicator, or a registered technician. The regulation says a pest control business may not apply a pesticide without a certified applicator physically present at the site, unless everyone applying on site is a registered technician. A certified applicator must also be present whenever a product's label requires it. The company's truck should carry its license number on both sides, in figures at least 3 inches high.
How do you prepare?
The company should tell you. NPIC suggests writing down any preparations you need to make, such as putting away clutter, emptying kitchen cabinets, or keeping pets and children away from the area. For bed bugs, the EPA says preparation will include laundering and cleaning; it recommends putting bedding and clothing in a dryer on high heat for 30 minutes. In a Philadelphia rental, the city's bed bug law requires tenants to carry out the reasonable preparation the professional asks for, such as cleaning or moving furniture.
What does the treatment look like?
That depends on the pest. Some examples from the agencies:
- Mice and rats: sealing entry points, then traps. The CDC recommends snap traps placed along walls where rodents travel, checked daily, with bait stations kept for infestations that persist.
- Termites: a liquid barrier in the soil along the foundation, which Penn State says may mean trenching, injecting soil or drilling through slabs and patios, or a bait system placed around the house.
- Bed bugs: the EPA says to expect vacuums, heat and pesticides, and that heating rooms or items to at least 120 degrees for 90 minutes is needed to kill eggs.
- Insects that come in from outside: often a perimeter treatment, which the state regulation defines as pesticide applied to the outside of a structure, up to 10 feet from it unless the label says otherwise, to keep pests from getting in.
When can you go back into the treated area?
When the label says. The EPA says the re-entry time varies by product and is on the label, and that the applicator should tell you when you are allowed to reenter. Ask before the work starts so you can plan where children and pets will be. For a whole-room fogger, the EPA's guidance for homeowners says to stay out for the time on the label, usually two to four hours, and then air the room out.
How long does it take?
It depends on the pest, and the visit is often not the end of it. The agencies describe the follow-up:
- Rodents: the CDC says that if no rodents are caught for a week and no new signs appear, they are gone. Rats are wary of new objects and may avoid traps for several days.
- Bed bugs: the EPA says very few infestations are controlled with one treatment, so prepare for several visits, with monitoring to catch bugs that were missed. Interceptors under bed legs help confirm the bugs are gone.
- Termites: Penn State advises keeping a warranty for at least one to two years to see whether the treatment worked.
What records are kept?
The business must keep one. The regulation requires a record of every application: the date, your name and address, the brand name and EPA registration number of each product, the amount and rate used, and the name and certification or registration number of whoever applied it. The record must be completed within 24 hours and kept for 3 years, and the product details must be given immediately to medical personnel in an emergency. The regulation does not require a written report to you after a home treatment, so ask for those details before the technician leaves.
What should you check afterward?
- That you have the product names, EPA numbers and the date in writing.
- That you know what to watch for and when the next visit is.
- That you know the prevention steps the technician recommended.
If something goes wrong, such as an illness or a pet needing a vet after a treatment, the regulation requires significant pesticide incidents to be reported to the Department of Agriculture.
The questions worth asking before the visit are in questions to ask an exterminator, and the licenses behind the work are in Pennsylvania's rules.
Sources
- 7 Pa. Code Chapter 128. Pesticides, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Code)
- Choosing a Qualified Pest Management or Lawn Care Company, Penn State Extension
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Principles, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Selecting a Pest Control Company, National Pesticide Information Center
- Termites: How to Identify and Control Them, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Hiring a Pest Management Professional for Bed Bugs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Controlling Bed Bugs Using Integrated Pest Management (IPM), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Eastern Subterranean Termites, Penn State Extension
- Safety Precautions for Total Release Foggers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- How to Trap Up to Remove Rodents, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Bed Bugs and Property Rental (Philadelphia Code Chapter 9-4800), City of Philadelphia (Philadelphia Code)