Premium House: 12 Steps to Prepare for Cockroach Control

Today, professionals most often use gel bait insecticides to control and eliminate cockroaches. This requires the placement of small beads of gel bait in the areas where cockroaches are known or expected to harbor, travel or feed. The professional pest control operators (PCOs) will generally provide you with a specific list of the preparation activities, "prep," to be completed prior to their visit.

However, the following lists some of the most common requests or recommendations made by PCOs - and should also be followed prior to using any over-the-counter pest control products yourself. (When using any pesticide, read and follow all label directions and safe-use guidelines prior to purchase and use.) Because a lack of preparation could make a treatment unsafe or cause reinvestation of the entire home or building, many PCOs will not treat areas that are not prepared to specification.

Preparation Steps

Clean the home prior to the pest control visit, and maintain the home as neatly as possible for long-term results. This helps to eliminate competing food sources for the insects. Additionally, when the home is clean, the roaches will be more easily attracted to the bait and not to food sources.
Cover and store any open food. Remove foods, small appliances, and other small items from counter tops.
Store and/or cover baby toys, supplies and crib mattress.
Mop/scrub kitchen and other hard floors and woodwork with detergent. Thoroughly vacuum carpeted floors.
Vacuum up any visible roaches and eggs just before the service visit, using the crevice attachment to get into cracks. After vacuuming, take the vacuum cleaner outside, remove the vacuum bag, seal it, and discard in trash. Take a damp cloth and wipe down the entire vacuum cleaner. Continue to vacuum or otherwise kill any roaches that are seen.
Always keep garbage in closed containers and take out the garbage every night.
Remove items from the top of the refrigerator, stove, and any other such movable appliances. Prior to service, move these appliances away from the wall, and clean behind and beneath them. If the stove has a removable bottom drawer that opens to the floor, it is not necessary to move the entire stove.
Be sure that the pest control operator has free and full access to anywhere that cockroaches have been seen (or anywhere specified by the PCO).
Discard all excess paper products, and any other unused piles or trash, as these are harborage areas for roaches and other pests.
Homeowners should repair any water leaks immediately upon detection; apartment residents should report the leak to maintenance immediately upon detection.
If anyone in the home has special allergy problems, is pregnant, or is under the age of one, the PCO should be informed prior to service and precautions taken. All people and pets should stay out of the area being serviced for the length of time specified by the PCO.
After service, keep sanitation to as high a level as possible to allow all products to work as swiftly as possible. Do not touch cockroach gel or allow children or pets to get near.