Pest Control in South Heights, PA

When we come out, we spray a liquid pyrethroid — typically bifenthrin or cypermethrin — along the exterior foundation: three feet up the wall and three feet out onto the adjacent soil or mulch. We also treat around every door frame, every window frame at ground level, utility penetrations where pipes and wires enter the building, eaves where spiders like to set up, and garage door frames. The product bonds to the surfaces it contacts and stays active for roughly 90 days on surfaces that aren't getting direct sun and rain exposure. Insects walking across the treated zone pick it up and it works from there. The whole application takes 30 to 45 minutes depending on the property. We ask that pets and kids stay off the treated surfaces until they're dry — usually 30 to 60 minutes. One honest note: this is an exterior perimeter treatment. It does not address mice, bed bugs, active wasp nests inside wall voids, or subterranean termites. Those require different approaches entirely, and we'll tell you that plainly rather than upsell you something that won't work.

For South Heights specifically: the elevated position above the river means slightly colder average temperatures than the river-level boroughs in winter. First frost mid-October is typical; green-up begins in mid-April. The elevated position also means more wind exposure than in the sheltered river valley.

Before we come out, customers usually describe the same few things: ants appearing along the kitchen counter in spring, spiders in the corners of windows, or earwigs showing up in the bathroom after heavy rain. We ask about pets so we can plan dry-time communication, and whether there's anything specific they've noticed — entry points, concentrated activity in one area. On treatment day, we walk the perimeter, apply the product to all the key zones, and typically wrap up within 45 minutes. Pets and kids should stay off exterior surfaces until they're dry — 30 to 60 minutes in normal conditions. In the two to four weeks after the first treatment, some customers notice they're seeing more insects than before, or finding dead ones along the foundation. That's expected and it's a sign the product is working — insects are contacting the treated surface as they move through it. Activity typically drops noticeably after that initial period. We ask customers to give it a full two to three weeks before drawing conclusions, and to let us know if they're still seeing heavy indoor activity after that window, because there may be an entry point we should revisit.