Can I vacuum or mop after pest control?

A lot of people ask this. This question is either asked after a rodent control treatment or insect control treatment. 

With regards to insect control this question is most frequently asked after a house has been sprayed with an insecticide for pests. You should ask your pest control operator this once they have sprayed as every company has its own policy for post treatment requirements.

Our standard response is 7 days after treatment is the earliest you should vacuum clean or mop the property after having it sprayed with insecticide. Spot cleaning spills or anything that is dropped is of course fine but no floor to wall vacuuming or mopping. Some companies insist on a 30 day period of no vacuuming or mopping but I feel that that is excessive especially as insects can thrive in the presence of excess debris.

The reason for this is that most insecticides are suspended concentrates or wettable powders. When they are sprayed onto surfaces the liquid water component of the insecticide evaporates leaving a fine residue -which is not usually visible-which is what is responsible for killing the insects. If you hoover or mop aggressively post treatment then you may remove all that residue thereby reducing the efficacy of the treatment significantly. In most -but not all- cases what is sprayed is water soluble so you do not need to worry about any stains or marks caused by the insecticide as they can be wiped off at a later date.

With regards to rodent control it is advisable to vacuum regularly to remove any food debris and droppings as much as possible. I would advice keeping a note of where fresh droppings are found so you can tell the pest control operative as it may be of help to them. Otherwise clean regularly to ensure the environment is unfavourable to pests and that you and your family members are not exposed to any pathogens found in rodent droppings or urine.