How often should the exterminator come to my house?

How often should the exterminator come to my house is a very common question that we get asked. There are many factors that go into how frequent you may need pest control services.

Below we will explore some the factors that determine how often you may need an exterminator at your home

What type of pest problem are you having?

The type of pest problem that you are experiencing is a big factor in how often you will need pest control services

General Household Pests

I consider general household pests to be ants, spiders, centipedes, and other common insects we find in homes. Sometimes a one-time treatment will resolve these types of pest issues. Below we discuss one-time treatments.

For most household pest issues, the frequency of service will be determined by the homeowner. If the homeowner just wants a one-time treatment, then we can treat and they will see LESS pests.

Many clients that have general household pest issues enroll in a year-round pest plan. We discuss this option below

Rodent Issues

Rodent issues and infestations usually fall into 2 categories. The rodent issue is either infrequent or it is a yearly problem.

For rodent issues that occur on a yearly basis, the strategy is to reduce the rodent population around the home. This is best accomplished by installing exterior rodent control stations around the home.

Depending on the severity of the infestation, these stations should be checked, cleaned out, and re-filled 2-3 weeks after the initial service. The activity level after the follow-up visit will determine the frequency of pest control visits.

Prudential Pest Solutions’ Rodent Approach

Our goal with rodent treatments is to eliminate the rodents inside of the home and then reduce the rodent population outside around the home. After our initial visit, we will perform a follow-up service 2-4 weeks later.

If we find that rodent activity on the outside of the home remains during the follow-up visit, then we schedule another follow-up treatment 4 weeks later. The goal is to reduce the rodent population so that we need to service every 3 months, or 4 times a year.

Of course the best method for rodent treatment is prevention and exclusion. In addition to us checking and maintaining the exterior rodent control stations, we are also inspecting and sealing and potential rodent entrances around the home.

Additional Rodent Information

Roach Problems

Cockroach problems are typically an on-going issue. This means that after the initial service, a follow-up service is usually scheduled for 3-4 weeks later. After the initial and follow-up services, the roach activity is evaluated and further treatments may be recommended.

It is very common to need monthly treatments for an on-going roach problem. This is especially true in multi-family housing and apartment situations. With pipes and electrical lines running between units, it is very easy for roaches to travel between units.

Many apartment complexes and multi-family housing contract regular pest control services. The frequency of pest control service depends on the number of units, the frequency of pest issues, and the tenant turnover rate.

Commonly in Pennsylvania, a monthly service for roaches is what is needed. Sometimes the roach issue is resolved and the treatment frequency can be reduced to 3-4 times a year.

You can learn more about roach control here.

Bed Bugs

Just like roaches, bed bug treatment frequency will depend on many factors. How bad is the infestation? Where do you think you picked up bed bugs?

When we are evaluating bed bug infestations, we must account for these questions, as well as many more.

On average, it will take 2-4 treatments to get a bed bug issue under control. These treatments will usually be scheduled every 2-4 weeks after the initial services.

Additional Bed Bug Information

Seasonal Invaders

Seasonal invaders are pests that are an issue only during certain times of the year. We have many seasonal invaders in Pennsylvania.

Sometimes these pest issues can be resolved with an one-time treatment. For other pests, you may need a few treatments to get the issue under control.

Spotted Lanternfly Treatments

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive species in Chester County Pennsylvania. Since the spotted lanternfly goes through different life cycles, treatments and treatment times will vary.

We offer spotted lanternfly treatments to our Chester County clients. Usually you will need 3 treatments if we are doing a topical application. Systemic treatments may only require 1 treatment to have the desired outcome

Additional Spotted Lanternfly Information

Where do you live?

Where you live in the world and the USA will play a heavy part in how often you may require exterminator services.

Different Climates mean different pest pressures

If you live in the southern USA, the mild winters and hot summers lead to much more pest activity than the northern USA.

Here in Chester County Pennsylvania, we have fairly cold winters, and hot, humid summers. Although the winter brings relief from pests outside, the insects are adapted to the cold and return in the spring.

Many adult insects die off in the winter, leaving their eggs or larva to survive until spring. Although you may not think of needing an exterminator in the winter, there are many pest species that are active in the cold months.

Additional Information on Winter Pest Control

What type of pest treatment would you like?

The type of treatment that you are expecting will also play a role in how often the pest control services will be.

Regular Pest Service

A regular pest service involves the use of chemical insecticides to control and treat for their listed pests. Chemical insecticides have longer residual times than their natural counterparts. This means that the chemical insecticides will last longer than the natural pesticides.

I would say on average, a liquid spray of a chemical insecticide will last approximately 30-45 days. This is impacted by temperature, light, and moisture.

For insecticide dusts, the residual time can be anywhere from 6 months to 10 years! Again, these ranges are varied by temperature, light exposure, and moisture.

For a regular pest service, a treatment frequency of every 3-4 months is pretty common in Pennsylvania. This would allow the pest control company to service 3-4 times per year.

Natural Pest Service

Natural pest control products do not utilize man-made chemicals to control pests. They rely on natural compounds such as diatomaceous earth, natural oils, and boric acid.

While these products can certainly be effective in preventing certain pests, they will NOT last as long as their chemical counterparts.

For liquid applications of natural products, the residual time may be as short as a day or two. This is far shorter than the chemical based insecticides which can last for well over a month.

The dust forms of the natural compounds will last longer than the liquid forms. Some may even last as long as their chemical equivalents.

If you wish to pursue a natural pest control program, you can expect the frequency of your pest control services to be much greater. Depending on the treatment and pest issue, this could mean scheduling services every other week to ever month.

Just like with chemical insecticides, natural products are affected by light, temperature, and moisture.

Additional Information on Natural Pest Control

Types of Pest Control Plans

Every pest control company offers some type of pest control plan. We offer a variety of pest plans that can keep our clients pest free.

Year-round Pest Protection

Year-round pest protection involves performing preventative pest control services so that infestations are stopped BEFORE they begin.

We offer many year-round pest protection plans. Our most common, and the most common in the pest control industry, is quarterly service plan. This plan includes a treatment every 3 months, year-round.

Pest Control Service Agreements

Exterior Only Treatments

Some of our clients only prefer an exterior treatment. For these types of treatment plans, a service every 2-3 months is necessary. Usually the services can be spread out throughout the warm, insect heavy months.

One-Time Treatments

One-time pest treatments are when a service is performed one-time for a specific problem. Sometimes a one-time treatment will be for general pest maintenance, although this is not the best pest maintenance strategy.

I tell folks that a one-time treatment will result in you seeing less insects. As we discussed above, the chemical or natural approach have residual times of a few months AT BEST.

This means that the one-time treatment will knock-down the pest issue but will not be a long term strategy