Seeing more bugs after a pest control treatment can be extremely discouraging. You pay your hard-earned money to a professional pest control company, only to feel let down and frustrated by the results. What gives?  If the professionals can’t help with your bug problem, who can?

No need to be concerned, it is completely normal to see more bugs after receiving a pest control treatment.  More often than not, simply giving the treatment time to kick in will remedy the situation. Besides timing, there are plenty of other reasons why you may see additional creepy crawlies after a treatment. We’ll explore these reasons below, but whatever the reason, you can rest easy knowing Blue Sky has your back and offers a guarantee to reservice your property until the problem is remedied. If you need pest control in the Phoenix area all the way from Mesa to Surprise and Chandler, we can help! Whether you’ve got problems with cockroaches, wasps, or crickets, we can help. 

Why do I see more bugs after pest control service?

As mentioned above, there could be several reasons why you see increased bug activity after a professional pest control treatment. Below is a list of the most common reasons:   

• It’s Your First Treatment

One treatment doesn’t take care of everything. When bugs are first treated, they are flushed from their hiding places or shelter. It’s completely normal to see ants, spiders, and cockroaches come out in abundance after your first treatment.  

In addition, some treatment products are specifically designed to work slowly. Ants and cockroaches are both treated with such products. With ants, they take the slow-working bait back and share it with the colony.  Cockroaches take the bait back to other congregating cockroaches, where it can be spread. Because the product is slow working, it has more time to spread to additional pests making it more effective.

Pest populations will be reduced after each treatment, and typically after 3 treatments pests will be under control.

• The Life Cycle Wasn’t Interrupted in Time

There is a science to pest control.  Trained technicians understand how to work the science to get your pests under control.  Depending on the timing of the treatment, bugs may respond differently. For example, because eggs aren’t always susceptible to pesticides, eggs that hatch after the treatment can contribute to more bugs being seen after service. 

Breaking the life cycle is important to get pests under control. For this reason, Blue Sky provides back-to-back monthly treatments for new customers to break the cycle early in the process. Any reputable pest control company will provide reservices at no cost to you. So should you see more bugs after your first treatment, take advantage of a no-cost reservice.

• The Weather

Bugs and their habits change with the weather. Heat and humidity are two of the biggest culprits of weather-related change.

While Arizona has warm weather most of the year, we do enjoy mild winters with less bug activity. As we exit the cooler winter months, bug activity always increases. We’ve found that when nighttime temperatures approach the 65-degree range, it’s like flipping a switch for bug activity. With Arizona’s extended warm weather months there is ample opportunity for bugs to be active and reproduce. 

Like heat, moisture can also contribute to seeing more bugs after treatment. Just like us, bugs search for shelter when it rains. Often this shelter is your warm dry home. While proper exclusion efforts (door sweeps, airtight window seals, etc.) can keep these unwanted house guests outside, wet weather is another reason you may see increased bug activity after receiving pest control treatment. Moisture is also a variable that allows pests to reproduce more, so rain often leads to increased populations contributing to more sightings.

• Water or Food Sources

Another reason you may see more bugs after treatment has to do with the availability of water, food, and other attractants. 

Water is a bug’s source of life. Pests with access to constant water sources will be more challenging to control. Cockroaches, by way of example, can survive without a head for several days. They can survive without a head, but not without water. Homes and businesses with damp and/or wet areas will struggle with control. Kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and attics are common areas for unnoticed leaks and the corresponding unwanted bugs. Drains are a particularly important area to inspect regularly.

Like water, food sources and other attractants can contribute to seeing bugs after treatment. Here are a few simple steps to eliminate easy access to food sources within your home:

• Sweep and vacuum your floors often, especially in your kitchen and pantry
• Keep pet food area clean and off the ground
• Keep garbage secured with tight-fitting lids
• Store dry goods in sealed containers
• Don’t keep dirty dishes in the sink or on your kitchen counter overnight.

How long after a pest control treatment do bugs die?

You may see more bugs after your first treatment. Specifically, if your home or business hasn’t regularly received preventative treatments, you may see more pests being flushed out of their habitat. After treatment, the products we use don’t kill the pests instantly and it takes a little time to take effect. Bait products, the ones taken back and shared with the colony, may take a few days to a week to work. A good rule of thumb is if you are seeing pests 10 days after a treatment, you may need some intervention from your pest control company.

Is it normal to see more roaches after a technician treats?

Cockroaches are reclusive, resilient, and spread disease. The combination is problematic. Because they are skilled hiders, you really have no idea just how many are lurking in your walls. Once treatment is applied, uncounted numbers may appear…they may be literally coming out of the woodwork. While their numbers may appear to increase over the first few days following treatment, this gives the treatment products opportunity to spread to a high percentage of the colony. After the initial increase in activity over the first few days, you will start to see less and less.

Benefits of Hiring a Professional Pest Control Service

Sometimes, people don’t want to hire a professional when it comes to pest control. They’re not sure of the cost or if it will be effective. The truth is most spend a good amount of time and money trying to manage their pest control problems, only to be unsuccessful. Here are a couple of reasons it’s a good idea to consider hiring a licensed pest control technician rather than going the DIY approach.

• Trained Experts: When you’re dealing with potentially harmful pests, it’s always a good idea to leave it to the experts.  When attempting to do your own pest control, you end up guessing, leaving a lot to chance. Let trained professionals put their knowledge and experience to work and take the guesswork out of freeing you home from bugs. 
• Identify The Cause of your Infestation: A professional pest control service won’t just exterminate pests but will find out what is causing the infestation, preventing pests from coming back. Trained technicians know how and where to inspect, properly identifying the root cause of your pest problem.  Often, a non-chemical solution can make a huge, long-term difference in controlling pests.

Still Seeing Bugs After Pest Control Conclusion

If you’ve recently had your home or business treated for pests, don’t be alarmed if you are seeing more pests. It’s a normal part of the process; give the products time to do their job. If you are still seeing bugs 10 days after your treatment, contact your pest control company. Have them take a closer look and possibly perform a reservice.

At Blue Sky Pest Control, we provide exceptional pest control services for the entire Phoenix metropolitan area (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Gilbert, San Tan Valley, and more) down to Surprise and far-out places such as Apache Junction. Our technicians are licensed, trained professionals who are world-class at what they do. From scorpions to termites and everything in between, we know the methods to keep your home pest-free.