Knowing how long a pest treatment should last is a common question. Once you hire a pest control company, asking the average time the pest control treatment will remain effective is normal. However, there’s no direct answer to this question.
The important thing to note is that how long pest control treatments last will be determined by the kind(s) of pest infestation you’re facing in your home and the treatment method used. The common pesticides on the market last 60 – 90 days. After that, they biodegrade and become a part of the natural environment.
Even though general pest control treatments can stay effective for a few months, a single treatment may not guarantee a lifetime defense from household insects. It is recommended to carry out regular treatments over some time. Feel free to consult a pest control professional for the best approach to suit your home.
General pest control treatments
General pest control treatments usually involve spraying high-grade pesticides on the baseboards and sometimes the exterior of your home. It helps to target common insects such as roaches, spiders, bedbugs, and so on and usually lasts a few months.
Interior sprays kill the pests that are already present in your home while exterior sprays help prevent insects from entering your property.
Pests such as termites and bed bugs are more difficult to deal with as compared to ants or silverfish, and they may require more frequent treatments.
The type of pesticides used will also affect how long these treatments will last. All these factors, when combined with the different environments, climates, and environmental conditions, will make it clear that there is no definitive answer.
Knowing that there is no lifetime protection will ensure you get the most out of your pest control treatments from providers.
How long does ant treatment last?
Due to its less obvious risks, ants are not usually seen as an urgent problem in most households. Many people share their homes with ants and consider it normal. However, ant infestations are actually more serious than it seems and call for concern. They can contaminate food and spread disease.
Depending on the extent of the infestation, most pest control companies will schedule monthly visits for 6 months for ant pest control. The frequent visits will help to ensure complete elimination.
An important aspect of pest control for ants is to find the anthill and destroy it to prevent recurring infestations. Quarterly visits will be necessary afterward to maintain treatments.
How long does termite treatment last?
Most homeowners do not even know they have termites until the problem is large. Once they’re left untreated, they keep doing more hidden and obvious damage. As soon as you notice a sign of pest infestation, you should immediately call the pest control expert.
There are effective termite treatments and the treatment method mostly determines their effectiveness. The liquid treatment and baiting stations are the most commonly used.
Liquid treatment
The liquid method of termite treatment can last for about 5 years. It involves the use of many gallons of liquid pesticide solution, which can be harmful to the environment. It does not guarantee total termite eradication because the treatment does not eliminate the termite colony.
This termite treatment method requires digging a trench around your home. This digging is mostly done by a termite specialist. The liquid insecticide will then be poured into the trenches and this will serve as a barrier against any termite that attempts to find its way into your home.
If there are gaps in the chemical barrier, some ants can still find a way into your home. You should have your termite specialists schedule inspection visits to always assess your home to see if you’re at risk of termite invasion.
Baiting stations
This is the right pest control method for less invasive termite treatment. It lasts for one year and needs to be maintained annually. Your exterminator will place the baits strategically around your property. Once termites find and take the bait, they bring them to their colony and infect other termites.
For high effectiveness, monitoring and maintaining termite bait stations all year round is important. Since it may take several days or weeks before the termites come in contact with the bait stations, it may take some time to eliminate the colony.
This method may be slow and time-consuming, but it helps to get rid of your termite problem from the actual source while using a small amount of pesticide.
How long does bed bug treatment last?
Bed bugs can be notorious for their bites and can be a source of annoyance for many homeowners. Even though they are hard to identify, they are not hard to treat.
If the source of the bedbug infestation in your home is discovered, you may have to treat it only once in a lifetime. If the source of infestation is not discovered, complete eradication becomes almost impossible.
After the eradication, however, bedbugs can gain access to your home through humans or animals.
How long does roach treatment last?
The different methods of roach treatment will determine the longevity of your pest control treatment.
Spraying for roaches can be a long-term task. Depending on the level of infestation, your first treatment will likely be followed by several follow-up visits to reapply insecticides. It’s important that your exterminator schedules multiple inspection visits until all the pests and eggs are completely exterminated.
Even though you may still see a few roaches for a few weeks after treatment, this is completely normal and the poison left by the exterminator will keep working after the initial spraying, so they’ll be gone soon.
Once the problem is under control and you do not see any more roaches, it is recommended to spray pesticides once every 30 to 60 days inside and outside your home to help stop future infestations.
How often should you do pest control maintenance?
It is highly recommended that you use a professional exterminator for monthly supervision before an infestation occurs in your home. This will help to keep all kinds of pests away from your home. If you’re waiting for an infestation to occur before calling the experts, then extermination may be more difficult than you expect.
Infestations occurring from fleas or roaches may require a weekly or more frequent visit by your exterminator.
In some homes with surrounding lakes, tall grasses, forested areas, many flower or ornamental beds, heavy mulching, etc., there’s a high possibility of high pest infestations. If you find yourself in any of these situations, monthly pest control or inspection visits may always be needed.
How long do pesticides last in the soil?
Different types of pesticides vary in the amount of time they break down in the environment. The length of time required to degrade a particular pesticide is determined by the type of pesticide, the amount used, and environmental conditions.
The measurement of how long a pesticide will persist in the environment is known as the Soil half-life (how long it takes the original pesticide to be reduced by 50%.
The soil half-life of a pesticide can range from 4 years to 5 years. The microbes in the soil are responsible for breaking down the pesticides in the soil under favorable conditions.
Pesticides with a short half-life are safer for the environment. This is why new substances are being discovered to replace the pesticides that take several years to degrade in the soil.
What is the average cost of pest control service?
The actual cost of pest control services differs depending on the type of pest in your home. The type of pest, the extent of the infestation, and the treatment method used are some of the factors that determine the pest control prices for some of the more common pests you may have in your home.
| Description | Average cost |
|---|---|
| One-time visit | $250 - $600 |
| Initial visit (for ongoing treatment) | $150 - $300 |
| Quarterly visit | $100 - $300 |
| Monthly visit | $45 - $75 |
There are two ways to hire your pest control company. It can be a one-time hire or an ongoing service For a one-time hire, the cost of pest control is between $250 and $600. This is a higher cost compared to hiring for an ongoing service because the contractor will have to do the hard work of finding the problem and solution on the same day.
However, there are times when the entire process cannot be completed in one visit. If you require several visits for your pest control problem, the price for the first visit may be lower—between $150 and $300. This is when the professional will begin by assessing the problem to know how extensive the infestation is. After this is done, they will design a treatment plan on how to completely eradicate the pests from your home. The follow up visits will cost less than the first visit. Pest control prices for quarterly visits range between $100 to $300 and monthly visits cost an average of $45 to $75.
How to find a professional pest control service near you
If you want to prevent or control a pest infestation on your property, feel free to use GoTreeQuotes. It offers a FREE service that quickly matches you with the top-voted pest control experts in your area.
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- You scroll to the top of the page and enter your Zip code.
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IMPORTANT: There is no obligation to hire. This is a free tool and service to be used at your pleasure.
Are monthly visits by exterminators necessary?
Even though regular visits are advisable, it does not have to be every month. Regular visits will help pest control professionals check for signs of pest activity. They will also be able to put up traps and suggest preventive measures to reduce pest populations.
If there are no heavy infestations, quarterly visits would suffice for residential areas to effectively prevent common pests from attacking. Treatments for roaches, poisonous spiders, silverfish, etc., can last for a few months, so quarterly visits are enough.
However, a serious ant infestation problem would need monthly visits from exterminators and this could continue for 3 to 6 months.
The frequency of exterminator visits will depend on the type of pest you have, your location, the size of your home, and the weather.
