When Is It Necessary to do a Follow-Up Application

Pest issues in the home only get worse and grow larger if you do not act quickly and address the infestation with the use of high-quality pesticides. However, some people erroneously believe that pesticide applications are a "one and done" thing and that the problem will be eliminated from just one treatment. With this type of thinking, you may never totally get your pest infestation under control.

On this page, we will discuss the necessity of follow up applications and how often they should occur in order to be most successful in eliminating your pest problem.

Repeat Applications Are A Must 

Whether you have discovered a small outbreak of pests or a heavy infestation, most pesticide applications will require a repeat treatment in order to achieve the best results in eliminating the problem. Even if a significant amount of pests are killed and there is a reduction of activity from an initial application, there are chances that the population can bounce back due to the survivors and those who have avoided the treatment areas.

The label for the pesticide will often give you details on when to conduct repeat applications and how often. Generally, the amount of time it should take to do a reapplication depends on whether you are treating an active infestation or are performing general maintenance or preventative applications.

Active Infestation

The interval time when treating an active infestation will depend on the pest you are treating. For example, hard to kill pests like bed bugs, fleas and cockroaches may need a follow-up application of every two weeks until you see less activity. The same interval should be done for weeds and fungus.

Organic Chemicals

Organic chemicals use natural active ingredients like pyrethrins, neem oil, and other such environmentally-friendly options will likely need a reapplication every 3 to 4 weeks. Organic chemicals often do not have as long a residual effect as conventional pesticides do.

General Maintenance/Prevention

When an infestation has been eliminated, there are chances the pests can return or re-establish. In this case, preventative applications should be done to make sure that they don't. In general, it's always best to reapply quarterly with an insecticide that contains a residual effect or repellent properties.

Generally, you should reapply every 30 to 60 days depending on the weather. Periods of heavy rainfall may wash away the pesticide application so that's why you may need to retreat sooner.

You should check the label of the product you are applying to get details on the duration they suggest. For example, Supreme IT delivers up to 90 days of residual activity to control 70+ different pests.