How Long After Pest Control Should I Wait to Go Inside?
The time it takes to safely return after a pest control treatment is applied is usually dependent on the type of treatment that was used. Some pest treatments use toxic pesticides that may require air quality levels to return to normal before inhabitants can return, while other treatments might not need inhabitants to leave at all. Regardless of the type of pest treatment that was applied, a good general rule of thumb is to give pest control treatments 2-4 hours to set in and then an extra 30 min to breathe with windows open and fans on to allow fresh air to flow through before returning. For more intensive treatment options, like fumigation, a safety check will need to be conducted before inhabitants are allowed to return. This is because there is a much higher risk for pesticide exposure under these circumstances.
Should You Leave During a Pest Control Treatment?
In the past, before strict regulations controlled the pesticide industry, there were pesticides that were used that would require most inhabitants to leave during treatment. While some of these options still exist, most modern pest control experts choose to use ecofriendly alternatives that are much safer for routine pest maintenance. These newer treatment options are just as effective but don’t rely on harsh chemical compounds to kill off bugs. Instead, they generally use extracts of naturally occurring plants to create a mixture that effectively eliminates and repels bugs. While direct contact with these safer treatments isn’t recommended, most modern safety regulations require that these treatments are diluted down to ensure that they are safe to be used around people, pets, and children. If there are harsher products being used to treat an area, the exterminator should inform the inhabitants of an area on how long they should be gone for while treatment is being completed.

One of the other treatment options that require inhabitants to leave a building is when a structure is being fumigated. This treatment option covers a building with a plastic tent which fills up with toxic pesticide fumigants. These fumigants will permeate every inch of the covered structure including wall cavities and hard to reach places to ensure that every bug inside a home is killed. Before returning home, a safety check needs to be conducted to ensure that air quality is safe and not containing remnants of the toxic fumigants.
When Do You Return After Pest Treatment is Completed?
Harsh pesticide exposure is never recommended because it can come with serious health problems that can impact the respiratory and nervous systems if breathed in or absorbed through the skin. When these harsher pesticides are being used, inhabitants should be vacated from areas designated for pest treatment. Inhabitants will usually be informed by the exterminator on how long they should be gone for and when they can return safely. The typical time most harsher pesticide treatments need for a safe return is between 2 and 4 hours. After that time, an additional 30 minutes is recommended to let the building breathe. This should be done with windows open and fans running to allow air levels inside to return to normal.
Things to Do After Pest Control Treatment
There are several things that inhabitants should do after pest control treatments are completed:
- Wait for pest treatments to dry: The first thing inhabitants must do is wait for the pesticides to dry which can take several hours. During this period, inhabitants should stay outside to avoid contact with wet pesticides.
- Throw away contaminated materials: There will inevitably be consumable goods, like food and toiletries that were contaminated with pesticides. To ensure the safety of the inhabitants, these items should be thrown out.
- Hold off on cleaning: Cleaning immediately will remove the pest treatment from places that may need it to remain to be effective. Hold off on deep cleaning for a week after pest treatments were applied to ensure that treatments remain effective and continue to kill off bugs.
- Kill active bugs: Bugs and other pests will emerge from contaminated areas when everything gets treated so its not uncommon to see an increase in pest activity after treatment is completed. Be sure to kill off these pests as they make themselves known so they are not able to go back into hiding.
- Monitor health: Some individuals are more sensitive to certain pesticide treatments. Inhabitants should be aware of any changes they are experiencing and should remove themselves from a treatment area if they experience symptoms like difficulty breathing, coughing, burning or itchy eyes, or increased heart rate. Each of these could indicate a serious response which could require medical attention.
What To Expect After Pest Control Treatment
After pest control treatments are completed, there should be a brief period right after treatment where pest activity may increase. This is often taken as a sign that pest treatments failed, but this just indicates that pests are being forced to come out of hiding because their harborage areas are contaminated with pesticides. As these bugs come out of hiding, they will come into contact with more treated surfaces which will cause them to become infected and then later die. After a few days, pest activity will drop off significantly and eventually stop as long as preventative maintenance treatments are regularly applied.
Rely on Experienced Pest Control Experts to Ensure Your Safety During Treatment
Pest control is something that should be left up to the experts. The team at EcoGuard Pest Management has the training, experience, and knowledge of how to treat your bug problem effectively while also operating safely within the guidelines of safe use pesticide regulations. Our team can inspect your property to identify problematic areas and determine how severe an infestation is. This will help determine the best pest control strategy to use to effectively eliminate your pest problem. Call today to schedule a free inspection.
Pest Control Return Time FAQs
