How to Prepare Your Apartment for Pest Control

Co-authored by Elmer Bensinger and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: February 8, 2024 References

Pests like ants, silverfish, bed bugs, and roaches are unfortunately common in apartment dwellings. If you’re getting a pest control service done, it’s important to prepare your home beforehand so the pest control company has the best possible chance of success. Keep reading to learn how you can clean up your apartment and arrange your furniture to make your pest control service go smoothly.

1

Ask your pest control company what you need to do.

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Different pest control options might require different prep. If you’re in contact with the pest control company that’s coming to your apartment, check in with them and see if they need you to do anything in particular. If you don’t have their information, ask your apartment manager instead.^{[1]
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- You should also try to figure out which pest the company is treating your apartment for. That will give you a clue as to how you need to prepare.
- If you can’t get in touch with anyone, that’s okay, too. There are some basic things you can do to your apartment to prepare for pest control no matter which company it is.

2

Pick up any clutter in your home.

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Try to clear everything off the ground, like clothes and papers. Clutter is a great place for pests to hide, especially bed bugs. Tidy up your home just a little bit so the pest control people can access every nook and cranny in your apartment.^{[2]
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- If you’re dealing with bed bugs, try not to move infested items to an uninfected area. If you know there’s a pile of clothing that has bed bugs in it, leave it alone.
- When you pick up trash, put it into a garbage bag and immediately take it outside. Otherwise, the pests could crawl out of the bag and back into your apartment.

3

Empty out your closets.

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Pests love to hide in small, dark spaces. If you have any closets in your apartment, empty them out so the pest control company can spray or clean inside of them. You can pile all the items from your closet in a central location and then cover them with a sheet or a tarp for protection.^{[3]
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- Do the same thing with your kitchen pantry if you have one.

4

Pull furniture away from the wall.

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If you can, try to shimmy your large furniture items away from the wall so they have full access to everything. While you do that, you can also wipe down the baseboards and check for pests behind electrical outlets, like fleas and bed bugs.^{[4]
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5

Wash all of your bedding in hot water.

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If your home is being treated for bed bugs, this can help kill them off. Strip your bedding and throw it in the washer on the hottest cycle you have. Then, put them in the dryer on the hottest setting they can handle. Once your bedding is clean and dry, place it into a trash bag and double bag it to protect it from insects and pesticides.^{[5]
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- Keep your clean bedding away from other items that might be infested with bugs.
- If your apartment is being treated for fleas, wash your pets’ bedding, too. If you know it’s infested with fleas, you may want to throw it out and buy your pets new bedding instead.

6

Dry curtains, stuffed animals, and pillows in the dryer.

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The hot air will kill any pests. If you have soft items that you can’t wash, like curtains, stuffed animals, or pillows, put them in the dryer on the hottest setting that won’t cause damage for at least 30 minutes. When the cycle is finished, put the items into trash bags and double bag them to keep them free of pests.^{[6]
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- If you have any items that you can’t put into the dryer, inspect them carefully for pests before double bagging them. If they are infested, leave them out for pest control to handle.

7

Remove everything from your cabinets and drawers.

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If you have silverfish or ants, your cabinets need to be empty. This includes anything in your kitchen and your medicine cabinet, too. Place all of your items on a couch or a tabletop and cover them with a sheet so they won’t get chemicals on them.^{[7]
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- If your home is being treated for bed bugs or fleas, you can probably leave everything in your cabinets unless you’re told otherwise.

8

Double bag any unsealed food or medication.

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You don’t want your food items to soak up any pesticides. If you have any open bags of food or medication in your apartment, put them into 2 sealed bags before covering them with a sheet. You can also use airtight containers with a lid to keep your food items safe.^{[8]
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- Don’t forget to do this with pet food, too!

9

Place children’s toys and clothes in storage bins.

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Children are more sensitive to pesticides, so put their items away. If your kids have any toys or stuffed animals laying around, carefully inspect them for pests. If they’re free of bugs, put them in plastic storage bins or double bag them with garbage bags to keep them out of the way.^{[9]
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- If any of the items are infested with pests, throw them out to avoid a further infestation.

10

Vacuum all the carpets.

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If your apartment has fleas, do this right before the pest control service. Vacuuming gets rid of adult fleas and their eggs, so it can make it easier for the pest control company to do their job. When you’re done vacuuming, empty the vacuum contents into a sealed bag and throw it away outside immediately; otherwise, the fleas will crawl out of the bag and back into your home.^{[10]
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- You can also vacuum any soft furniture and your baseboards, too.

11

Throw away infested items.

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As you prepare, you might find items that have pests in them. If that happens, put them into plastic bags and take them to the outdoor garbage right away. The more you can get rid of pest-infested items, the better your pest control service will go.^{[11]
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- It’s important to get these items out of your home immediately so the bugs don’t have a chance to move elsewhere.

12

Get your pets out of the house.

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Most pest control techniques are not safe for pets. Although some pest companies may use natural pesticides, it’s not a guarantee. If you’re required to leave your apartment during the pest control treatment, take your pets with you so they don’t inhale any harmful fumes. Most pest control companies recommend waiting at least 2 hours before going back into your apartment.^{[12]
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- When you go back into your apartment, keep the doors and windows open for a while to let everything air out.

13

Cover tanks and aquariums if you can’t move them.

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Use a sheet to protect small animals in tanks. If you have fish, cover their filtration system with plastic wrap to protect it from harmful chemicals. Experts recommend keeping the filtration system off for at least 4 to 6 hours after the pest control treatment to avoid spreading harmful chemicals in the water.^{[13]
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- If your apartment is being fumigated, you’ll probably want to remove all animals, even if they’re in tanks or aquariums.

14

Tell your neighbors when the pest control is happening.

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Pests sometimes move from unit to unit in an apartment. If yours is the only unit in the building getting a pest control service done, talk to your surrounding neighbors and warn them about what’s happening. It might benefit them to get a pest control service done at the same time to avoid any unwanted insects.^{[14]
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- Your neighbors might also want to know so they can leave their home while your apartment is getting services. Pesticides can cause irritation, especially in people with underlying conditions.

How Should You Choose a Pest Control Company?

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My cat has two carriers, a buggy and lots of toys. Should I put t them in the car?

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Yes. Consider placing them in a sealed plastic bag or container and leaving them in the car temporarily.

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