--- title: "Pest Control FAQ for Gilbert, AZ | Platinum Pest Management" description: "Our pest control FAQ answers what Gilbert and East Valley homeowners ask most, from kids and pets to scheduling, pricing and scorpions. Call for a free quote." url: https://platinumpestaz.com/faq/ updated: 2026-09-23 publisher: Platinum Pest Management LLC --- # Pest Control FAQ for East Valley Homeowners This pest control FAQ collects the questions East Valley homeowners ask us most, with short answers from Platinum Pest Management. Questions are grouped by topic, and most answers link to a page with more detail. ## At a glance - Platinum Pest Management offers free inspections and free written quotes for homes and businesses in Gilbert and across the East Valley. - Treatments from Platinum Pest Management use EPA-registered products, applied by licensed technicians according to the label. - Bi-monthly service, a visit every other month, is the most common pest control plan for East Valley homes. - If covered pests come back between scheduled visits, Platinum Pest Management returns and re-treats at no extra charge. - Same-day and next-day appointments are often available in Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler and the rest of the East Valley. ## How to use this pest control FAQ The questions in this pest control FAQ fall into five groups: getting started, safety, service and scheduling, plans and pricing, and specific pests. Answers are kept short, and where a topic needs more room we link to the page that covers it in full, such as [our pest control plans](https://platinumpestaz.com/pest-control-plans/) or the [list of services](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/). Each answer describes how Platinum Pest Management usually handles the situation in Gilbert and the rest of the East Valley. Once a technician has walked the property, the recommendation can get more specific, since the landscaping and the amount of activity vary from one house to the next. ## When to call us instead of reading on Some questions are faster to settle on the phone. Call (480) 518-1942 if you are working against an escrow deadline and need a termite inspection, if bed bugs are a possibility, or if a rat or mouse is loose in the living space. For a scorpion sting on a young child, or any sting with symptoms beyond pain at the site, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or 911 before calling us. If you found something and are not sure what it is, text a photo to (480) 518-1942, and look through [our Arizona pest identification guide](https://platinumpestaz.com/pest-identification/) in the meantime. The office is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon. To set up a visit, use the form on this page or [request a free inspection](https://platinumpestaz.com/free-inspection/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What happens during a free pest inspection? A licensed technician walks the outside of the property first, checking the foundation, block walls, eaves, door and garage seals, and the places where pests find water or shelter. Inside, we look at the rooms you point out, usually the kitchen, bathrooms and garage. Afterward you get a written recommendation and quote, with no obligation to book. The [free inspection page](https://platinumpestaz.com/free-inspection/) has the full checklist. ### Does someone need to be home for service? For the first visit, yes, because we inspect and usually treat inside as well as outside. Most recurring visits are exterior only, so nobody needs to be home as long as the technician can get through the side gates and pets are kept indoors. If you want the inside treated at a later visit, call the office and pick a time when someone can let the technician in. ### How soon can you come out? Same-day and next-day appointments are often available, depending on the day's schedule and where the property is. Calling early in the day gives us the best chance of fitting you in. The office is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon, and it is closed on Sunday. ### Which cities does Platinum Pest Management serve? We serve homes and businesses in Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Apache Junction, Tempe, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Maricopa and Phoenix. Each city has its own page under [service areas](https://platinumpestaz.com/service-areas/). If your address is just outside these cities, call and ask before ruling us out. ### Do you work with businesses as well as homes? Platinum Pest Management provides both residential and commercial pest control across the East Valley. Businesses usually need a different schedule than homes, and many commercial accounts choose monthly service. See [commercial pest control](https://platinumpestaz.com/commercial/) for business accounts and [residential pest control](https://platinumpestaz.com/residential/) for homes. ### Can you tell me what bug I found? Usually, yes. Text a clear photo to (480) 518-1942, ideally with a coin or ruler next to the pest for scale, and tell us where you found it. We will let you know what it is and whether it needs treatment, at no charge. Our [Arizona pest identification guide](https://platinumpestaz.com/pest-identification/) covers the pests we see most often in the Valley. ### How do you treat homes with children and pets? We use EPA-registered products, applied by licensed technicians according to the label. The label sets where a product can go and when people and pets can return to a treated area. Most of the work happens outside, around the foundation and entry points. Inside, technicians rely more on baits and crack-and-crevice treatments, which put product where pests hide instead of across open floors. Keep children and pets off treated areas until they are dry. ### How long should people and pets stay off treated areas? Most product labels say to keep people and pets off treated surfaces until the spray has dried. Outdoors in warm, dry weather that usually does not take long, while shade and cool, humid mornings slow drying down. Granular products sometimes need to be watered in first. Your technician will tell you what applies to the products used at your visit, and the same directions are printed on each label. ### What do you do to protect bees and other pollinators? Many insecticide labels include directions meant to protect bees, and our technicians follow them. In practice we do not spray flowering plants while bees are working them, and we keep exterior treatments to the foundation, entry points and the places pests hide. If you keep bees or have a pollinator garden, mention it before the visit so the technician can plan around it. ### What about fish tanks, ponds and pools? Fish are highly sensitive to many insecticides. Before an interior treatment we ask customers to cover aquariums and turn off the air pump, and the technician will say when the pump can go back on. Outside, we keep treatments away from ponds, fountains and pool water. Pool equipment areas can still be treated, since scorpions and roaches often shelter there, but nothing goes into the water. ### Can you treat a home where someone has asthma or chemical sensitivities? Yes, with some planning. Mention it when you schedule, and the technician can keep more of the work outside and use baits indoors instead of sprays where that makes sense. The visit can be set for a time when that person is out of the house for a while. We can also give you the names of the products we plan to use so you can check with a doctor. Cockroach and mouse allergens are common asthma triggers, so controlling those pests often helps. ### What should I do if a bark scorpion stings someone? Wash the sting with soap and water, put a cool compress on it, and call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for advice on whether the person needs medical care. Young children and older adults are more likely to have serious symptoms, and anyone having trouble breathing needs 911. When things have settled down, call us about [scorpion control](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/scorpions/) for the house. ### How long does a service visit take? Visit length depends on the size of the property and the problem we are treating. The first service takes the longest, because we treat inside and out and deal with whatever activity prompted the call. Recurring exterior visits on a typical East Valley home are shorter. Large lots and specialty work such as termite or bed bug treatment take more time, and we can tell you roughly how long to plan for when we schedule. ### Do you treat inside the house? Yes, when there is a reason to. The first service normally includes the interior, with attention to kitchens, bathrooms, the garage and any room where you have seen activity. After that, recurring visits focus on the exterior, where most pests start, and we treat inside whenever activity shows up indoors. Bed bugs and [German cockroaches](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/roaches/) live indoors, so those jobs are treated inside from the start. ### What happens if it rains after a treatment? Most exterior products hold up to light rain once they have dried, but heavy monsoon downpours and the runoff that follows wear them down faster. When a storm is clearly on the way, we avoid treating outside right before it hits. If covered pests show up between scheduled visits after a big storm, call us, and the re-service guarantee covers a return visit at no extra charge. ### What if pests come back between scheduled visits? If covered pests come back between scheduled visits, call the office, and we will return and re-treat at no extra charge. Seeing a few more insects for a week or two after the first treatment is normal, because pests are leaving their hiding spots and crossing treated areas. If activity holds steady or grows after that, call rather than waiting for the next scheduled visit. ### How should I get ready for a service visit? For a routine exterior visit, leave the side gates open and keep pets inside. It also helps to move boxes or yard tools stacked against the house so the technician can reach the foundation. Interior service goes faster when the space under sinks is clear and the garage is open. If pests have turned up since the last visit, note where and when, or take a photo, and mention it when the technician arrives. ### How is the price of pest control set? Pricing depends mainly on the size of the property, how much pest pressure it has, and how often we visit. A home backing onto open desert with regular scorpion sightings needs more work than a townhome with an occasional ant trail. We quote every job after a [free inspection](https://platinumpestaz.com/free-inspection/), and the quote is in writing, so you know the cost before anything is scheduled. ### What is the difference between monthly, bi-monthly and quarterly service? The difference is how often a technician comes back to renew the exterior treatment. Monthly service fits homes with heavy scorpion pressure, homes on the desert edge and many businesses. Bi-monthly service, every other month, is the most common choice for East Valley homes. Quarterly service suits homes with lower pest pressure. The [pest control plans page](https://platinumpestaz.com/pest-control-plans/) compares them side by side. ### Is there a contract, and how do I cancel? Terms depend on the plan, and we explain them in writing before anything is scheduled, including how cancellation works. Read them over and ask any questions before you decide. If something about the terms is unclear later on, call the office and we will go through it with you. ### Can I book a one-time treatment instead of a plan? Yes, and it works well for a move-in or move-out, or for a single problem such as an [ant trail in the kitchen](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/ants/) or [crickets piling up in the garage](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/crickets/). Because there are no scheduled follow-up visits, it suits short-term needs best. For ongoing scorpion or roach activity, a recurring plan usually does more good for the money. ### Which services are quoted separately from a regular plan? Termite treatment, bed bug treatment, rodent exclusion, gopher control and seasonal mosquito service are quoted on their own, because each needs its own inspection, method and schedule. See [termite control](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/termites/), [bed bug treatment](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/bed-bugs/), [rodent control](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/rodents/), [gopher control](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/gophers/) and [mosquito control](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/mosquitoes/) for how each one works. ### How long does it take to get scorpions under control? Scorpions take longer than most pests. Many homes see fewer of them within the first few weeks, but steady control usually takes several months of regular service. Sealing gaps around doors and weep screeds helps too, and many homeowners handle that part themselves. Houses that back onto desert, washes or preserve land may still see an occasional scorpion. Our [scorpion control page](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/scorpions/) explains the approach. ### Do you do termite inspections for home sales? Yes. Buyers, sellers and real estate agents call us for termite inspections during escrow. Arizona home sales often use the state's Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report, known as a WDIIR. Call with the property address and the inspection deadline so we can schedule in time, and see [termite control](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/termites/) for how we treat an active infestation if one turns up. ### How do I prepare for a bed bug treatment? We go over preparation before the first treatment, because it depends on the method and the rooms involved. In most homes that means washing bedding and clothing, running them through a hot dryer, and bagging the clean items. Clear clutter from around beds and couches, and keep belongings out of other rooms so bed bugs do not spread. Please keep furniture in place until we have seen it. More detail is on the [bed bug treatment page](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/bed-bugs/). ### What is rodent exclusion? Rodent exclusion means sealing the openings rats and mice use to get inside. Roof rats usually enter along the roofline, through gaps at eaves, vents and roof tiles, while house mice can squeeze through a gap about a quarter inch wide. We close those openings with materials rodents cannot chew through, such as metal mesh and flashing, usually after trapping has removed the animals already inside. Exclusion is quoted separately, as explained on the [rodent control page](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/rodents/). ### Can you help with mosquitoes in the backyard? Platinum Pest Management offers seasonal mosquito service, quoted separately from regular pest control. The work starts with finding standing water, because Aedes aegypti can breed in something as small as a bottle cap. Then we treat the shady spots under shrubs and patio furniture where adult mosquitoes rest. Tipping out plant saucers, buckets, toys and anything else that holds water once a week also helps a great deal. Details are on the [mosquito control page](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/mosquitoes/). ## Contact Platinum Pest Management - Phone or text: (480) 518-1942 - Office: 3944 E Ellis St, Mesa, AZ 85205 - Hours: Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to noon, closed Sunday - Arizona pest control business license #9562 - Free inspection: https://platinumpestaz.com/free-inspection/