Seeing more bugs after pest control can be shocking, annoying, and even obnoxious. But it may not be anything to worry about in the long run. So, why does it happen?
Several factors can cause you to see bugs after a pest control treatment. One is that this is the first pest control treatment. Two is that your home just got pest control service, and three is that there are too many bugs and the treatment only reveals them. More often than not, the bugs die within a few days of pest control, but this is not always the case.
In this article, we talk about these factors and why they cause the emergence of more bugs. We also discuss how pest control works and whether or not you will need an additional pest control service. You will also learn how to prevent an infestation in the future.
The following are possible reasons you still see bugs even after employing the services of a professional pest control company to clear an infestation.
First professional pest control treatment
A first treatment may be the cause of the appearance of bugs. You may have been using homemade pest control products, such as pest control sprays to manage cockroaches and other pests around the house. It may also be that your home is getting the first treatment.
But the level of infestation will determine whether or not the products work. You may not have been aware of how many bugs were hidden, and a professional treatment revealed more bugs.
When the pesticides hit the bugs, they may try to run from inside the house outdoors. This is good and a reason you see a significant increase in pests, which is completely normal.
In some cases, some pests that are already outside may try to escape, and this causes them to find their way inside your home. Nevertheless, the bugs should all die or disappear within a few days, especially with exceptional pest control services.
Check hiding spots
However, if you still see bugs around the house after a few days of treatment, it may be due to newly hatched eggs. The bugs may already have eggs with bugs that were untouched by the pesticides.
Once they hatch, you see new bugs, and the only solution in such a case is another pest control treatment. You can always use the same pest control company as the first time.
Recent pest control service
Another possible cause for an increase in pests in your house is that it just got serviced. This can be determined by the frequency of the service and the products used before now. For example, if you were not using preventive pest control products, you would find more bugs crawling around.
But also note that preventive products do not always immediately kill the bugs. The products may get absorbed by several bugs, which crawl back to nests and colonies and inadvertently transfer them. Consequently, entire nests and large colonies are destroyed.
How long does it take to get rid of bugs after extermination?
It may take several days to happen, despite causing the appearance of more bugs than usual. The pesticides usually attract the bugs, making them easy to spread and kill most of them.
Therefore, it is not rare to find more of them crawling out of hiding places, although it is not always pretty seeing bugs. Keep an eye on them for about a week; if there are more after that, you may need additional services.
Excessive infestation
The house may have more roaches and other bugs than you initially thought. Some houses have a high level of bug infestation, especially if there are usually bags of trash or other attractions lying around.
The same applies to old houses. If you just moved into a house, it may have been vacant, and bugs found it an excellent breeding ground. A pest control treatment may only just be revealing what has always been there.
And while it may be good that you are now aware of how bad the infestation is, it is still frustrating to see. This is especially true if you have been using a pest control service to manage the bugs.
It will take repeated and constant treatments to rid the house of the infestation, be it ants, cockroaches, or other insects. In this case, one follow-up treatment will not suffice, and you may have to use a professional exterminator for the pest problem.
Current weather
Wetness or moisture can attract bugs into your home. As the soil gets wet due to rain or high humidity, it is normal to see ants and other insects looking for refuge in dry places. The area under the soil becomes unconducive for them, causing them to abandon these places temporarily.
Similarly, hot weather brings the bugs out of their hiding places. Typically, bugs love the heat, so they are prone to come out in summer and hibernate in cold months. So, if you start seeing bugs, check the weather as they may be weather bugs. However, you do not have to live with them, even if it is a natural occurrence with any change in the weather.
Other possible causes
To keep your home pest-free, take out the trash every night and cover leftover food. Store it in the refrigerator and keep other food items in a tight container up on shelves.
Also, clean any area where you cook or prepare a meal. Food crumbs draw bugs like magnets; the more crumbs accumulate in an area, the more bugs you find.
Furthermore, check the play areas for kids and pets if applicable. The little ones tend to hide food and other attractants for ants and roaches. In other words, clean the house as often as possible.
Additionally, bugs may increase in a house if there is a new construction site nearby or even a vacant lot with junk. While you cannot help these factors, you can keep bugs under control with pest control products.
What happens after a pest control treatment?
A pest control treatment usually consists of pesticides strong enough to weaken and eventually kill the pests. Bugs may come out in the open, but they typically hide when they see people, or you try to kill them.
However, if you use a pest control treatment, such as spray, the bugs find their way out of the hiding places. Their colonies and other living spaces become unconducive for them at this point.
So, they typically look for areas without the sprays to hide and recover. Even though the treatment reaches only a few compared to the number of bugs, they usually transfer the treatment to others and cause a reduction in the number.
Should I still see bugs after extermination?
You may need to schedule service if the problem continues even after a thorough pest control treatment. If you live in an area that sees a lot of pests, you may be used to seeing more pests than anyone else.
Also, you may already have regular treatments to keep them at bay. However, if you have bugs crawling around after a pest control treatment, you may need a reservice before the next scheduled regular service.
The mere presence of bugs can be irritating and an embarrassment. The house may require a wider coverage than the last time, especially if you suspect the pests come from other houses or yards. It should not take long to get rid of them if the exterminators do an excellent job.
The place of a professional exterminator
You may save some money on pest control by getting and using the products yourself. You eliminate the cost of employing the services of an expert. However, there is a place for a professional. The level of bug infestation in an area may be too much for simple spraying techniques.
Bugs come in different kinds. Only a professional can inspect your house, know the type of pest problems you are dealing with, and use the correct pesticides. They can identify the pests, their origin, and how to deal with them correctly.
If food sources attract them, the professional can also offer advice on how to curb the issue. The method application is also vital to completely eradicating the pest issue.
Preventing future infestations
It is one thing to follow a strict regimen in exterminating bugs from your house. But it is entirely different to stop them completely from infesting the area. Pests are a normal part of life and have value in the ecosystem.
However, they are a nuisance in a house and are destructive. So, how do you keep them from coming into your home in the future? Bugs excellently procreate. They can have as many as a thousand eggs at once.
If you have such an infestation, one way to curb it is to interrupt the birthing cycle. The cycle can happen once a month, so monitoring them and getting pest control services at such times is crucial. The pesticides should kill both the eggs and the live bugs.
That means having a regular pest control service. But if you slow the treatment down, leftover bugs and eggs may multiply and cause an increase in the pests in your home. Keep the treated area as clean as possible and repeat the treatment, depending on the number of bugs you see. With time, you will stop seeing bugs around the house.
Tips to keep bugs away from your home
While you can keep using pest control methods such as sprays and other insecticides to get rid of the bugs you see, there are a few other ways to stop them from coming into your home.
Moreover, they are healthier methods as they do not necessarily involve pesticides as a means of pest control.
Use natural predators
If you allow them, pests can overrun your house. So, you may need a means of keeping them away that does not only involve pesticides. Natural predators such as birds are excellent for the job, but that may mean planting shrubs and having bushes around where they can nest.
Keep trash away
Ensure you clean out your house as regularly as possible. Take the trash out each night or use the garbage disposal method. Leftover foods and trash are primary attractants for bugs, but keeping the house clean and properly storing foods reduces the chances of drawing them into the area.
Cover openings
Whether it is the first treatment or not, using pest control treatments for bugs has its uses, but leaving holes open can also attract pests into a house. If there are conspicuous openings around, covering them is crucial. Therefore, inspect the property as carefully as possible, looking for areas through which the bugs can enter.
Clean the yard
Wet areas are excellent places to hide for some pests. Also, heaps of junk create breeding points for them. Therefore, clear and clean your yard often, ensuring the area is as uninhabitable for the pests as possible.
Check the drainage and improve it to allow the free flow of water out of the yard. Pools of water attract certain types of bugs.
