Treatment Preparation

EnviroPest Offers Guidance on Treatment Preparation

EnviroPest wants the treatment of your home or business to be a complete success. There are several steps you can take to make sure this happens.

Please read through our guidelines below. If you have questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to call and talk with one of our professionals.

Preparing A Room for Bed Bug Treatment

Preparing a Room for Bed Bug Treatment> Proper steps must be followed to successfully manage a bed bug infestation.

In order to get a full understanding of the problem, EnviroPest will do an inspection before any cleaning or rearranging has occurred.

This prevents the spread and disturbance of the bed bugs prior to treatment. Once the size of the problem is determined, room preparation must be done.

Our Recommended Steps In Preparing Your Room

  • Remove all blankets, sheets, covers, pillows, bath towels, drapes and curtains from the bed and throughout   the room. Place the items into bags, which will be taken to the laundry.
  • Place the contents of all drawers and closets into plastic bags. All bags of clothing, plush toys, pillows and   shoes must be taken to the laundry.
  • EnviroPest recommends that anything that cannot be washed be bagged separately for inspection. This   includes electronics, books and plastic toys.
  • Please remove all cloth and plush items from the room, except for plush furniture. The pillows of plush   furniture should be laundered if possible.
  • Please move furniture a minimum of 18 inches from the wall.
  • Please remove outlet covers and switch plates from the walls.
  • EnviroPest recommends removing picture frames from the wall and have them inspected and treated.
  • During treatment, you, your family and pets must leave the area for approximately 4 hours. The time can vary   depending on the job. An EnviroPest technician will let you know the appropriate amount of time to wait.
  • Pet Fish should be protected by putting a towel or plastic over the tank. Fish are sensitive to many pesticides used in bed bug treatment.
  • Clean all clothing and linens until they are free of bed bugs and keep isolated until the problem is eliminated.
  • Please check the space to ensure that EnviroPest has room to get to all furniture, closets, beds, etc., to inspect   and treat.

 

Laundry & Cleaning Checklist For Bed Bug Treatment

A complete inspection and cleaning of your living area and personal belongings are vital in achieving a bed bug free home. Pesticides alone will not eliminate the infestation. Cleaning and removing clothing and other washable items should be done before treatment begins. EnivroPest recommends the following steps:

  • Place and seal all clothing and linens into clear plastic bags. Clear bags are recommended as bed bugs may be visible inside them.
  • Please remove shoes, coats, pillows, plush toys, small rugs and mats from infected areas and seal in large, clear plastic bags.
  • All personal belongings need to be inspected carefully, cleaned and sealed in large plastic bags or bins. Cardboard boxes are not recommended as bed bugs will hide in the folds and deposit eggs.
  • Heat is critical for complete elimination. All clothes, linens, pillows, shoes, coats and plush toys should be put into a hot dryer for 30 minutes. Heat must reach all items so please do not overstuff the dryer.
  • It is critical to keep the cleaned items separate from those that have not been checked or cleaned yet.
  • Keep your personal belongings in plastic bags or bins until they can be carefully inspected or cleaned. Do not remove them unless you are sure there is no contamination.
  • Completely empty the room of all personal belongings and vacuum floors thoroughly with a brush attachment. This attachment should then be washed in hot water and detergent.
  • After removing all sheets and bedding, the mattress and box spring should be thoroughly vacuumed to remove live bugs and debris and then encased to prepare for treatment.
  • Wash furniture, floors and walls thoroughly with soapy water.
  • EnviroPest suggests opening and inspecting outlets and electrical switch plates for bed bugs. Please do not wash!
  • We recommend washing in and around any non-electrical heating systems such as steam pipes or radiators.

Flea Treatment Preparation

There are several steps you can take to help eliminate your flea infestation.
EnviroPest recommends you do the following prior to our visit:

  • Have your pet treated by a veterinarian prior or during our visit. Please make sure your pet is kept out of the   house for 4 hours following our departure.
  • Please wash your pet’s bedding in hot water and dry in a dryer if possible.
  • We recommend washing all sheets in hot water.
  • Please make sure EnviroPest has access to as much carpet as possible by removing all toys, pillows, clothes,  etc., from the floor.
  • Please be sure to check under beds and on closet floors.
  • Give all carpets and rugs a thorough vacuuming while being sure to get areas where the floor meets the wall.
  • Vacuum all sides of sofa and chair cushions.
  • When you are done vacuuming, take the vacuum outside, remove the bag and either burn it or seal it in a   plastic bag and place in a garbage container away from the house.
  • Please remove all pets from your home.
  • Unplug the motor of your fish tank. It isn’t necessary to remove the fish.

After EnviroPest has treated the area:

  • You, your family and pets may re-enter after 4 hours.
  • If you detect an odour, open windows and doors for a few minutes. The odour should dissipate quickly.
  • Adhere to a daily routine of vacuuming for at least 1 week (preferably 2) and dispose of the vacuum bag as described above.