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Kingsway Exterminating FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

We start by inspecting your property — looking for signs of activity, entry points, and harborage areas. From there, we apply NYSDEC-registered materials targeted to your specific pest and situation. Most initial visits are a clean-out service, designed to eliminate the active infestation. After that, we set up a maintenance schedule — monthly, bi-monthly, or as needed — to keep pests from coming back. One treatment rarely solves the whole problem. The follow-up is where the real protection happens.

It depends on the size of your property and the severity of the infestation. A first visit — which includes inspection and treatment — typically takes longer than follow-up visits. For a standard apartment or home in New York City, expect anywhere from 45 minutes to a couple of hours on that initial call. Maintenance visits after that are usually quicker since we’re replenishing materials and checking activity rather than starting from scratch. We’ll give you a realistic time estimate before we arrive so you can plan your day.

For most treatments, you may need to vacate for a short period — typically a few hours — while materials dry or settle. We’ll tell you exactly what to expect before we start, including how long to stay out and whether pets need to be removed. In New York City apartments especially, this matters. Enclosed spaces require careful application, and we factor that in every time. If you have young children, elderly family members, or anyone with respiratory sensitivities, let us know upfront so we can plan accordingly.

All materials we use are registered with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation — meaning they’ve been reviewed and approved for safety when applied correctly by a licensed professional. That said, we always recommend keeping children and pets out of treated areas until materials have fully dried. Ironically, DIY sprays and bug bombs from the hardware store are often riskier because they’re applied without proper training or ventilation awareness. With us, you know exactly what was used and how it was applied.

Because over-the-counter sprays treat what you can see. They don’t reach harborage sites — the cracks, voids, and plumbing gaps where cockroaches actually live and breed. In older Brooklyn brownstones and pre-war apartment buildings throughout New York City, those hiding spots are everywhere. Spray the ones you see and the rest scatter, sometimes deeper into the walls or into neighboring units. Professional pest control targets the source, not just the surface. We also identify the species — German cockroaches behave differently than other roaches and require a different approach entirely.

Yes, and this is one of the most common frustrations for New York City residents. In shared-wall buildings — brownstones, row houses, apartment complexes across Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan — pests migrate through shared plumbing, electrical conduits, and wall voids. Treating one unit without addressing adjacent units often leads to re-infestation. We can work with property managers and landlords to coordinate building-wide treatment when needed. If you’re a tenant dealing with this, we can also advise you on how to document the issue and what your next steps might be.

They do. Bed bugs don’t follow seasons — they follow heat. And New York City’s heated apartment buildings give them a stable, warm environment twelve months a year. Cold weather outside does nothing to an infestation inside. This is one of the most common misconceptions we hear, and it leads people to delay treatment through winter thinking the problem will resolve on its own. It won’t. Bed bugs reproduce quickly, and a small problem in October becomes a serious infestation by January. If you suspect bed bugs, don’t wait for spring.

In most cases, no. This is a widespread myth, and acting on it can actually make things worse. Moving or discarding infested furniture without proper containment can spread bed bugs to other rooms, hallways, or neighboring units. Professional treatment — applied by a certified bed bug expert — can address the infestation in place. We assess each situation individually and will tell you honestly if any items need to be discarded. More often than not, the furniture can be treated and kept.

There’s no single answer because the cost depends on the pest, the size of your property, and the extent of the infestation. What we can tell you is that we offer free estimates — so you’ll know what you’re looking at before anyone starts work. We also offer a 10% senior discount for qualifying customers. What we won’t do is give you a low number over the phone and change it when we arrive. If you want a straight answer, call us and we’ll give you one based on your actual situation.

In New York State, any company applying pesticides commercially must hold a NYSDEC Commercial Pesticide Applicator Certification — issued by the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation and renewable every three years. You can verify a company’s license through the NYSDEC’s public database or through the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. We are fully licensed, bonded, and insured, and we use only NYSDEC-registered materials. In a market where unlicensed operators do exist, it’s worth asking before you let anyone into your home.

A one-time treatment — what we call a clean-out — eliminates the active infestation. But in New York City’s dense, shared-building environment, pests can return from neighboring units, entry points that weren’t fully sealed, or simply because conditions in the building haven’t changed. A maintenance plan means we come back on a regular schedule — weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly — to replenish materials and catch any new activity before it becomes a full infestation again. For most properties in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan, ongoing maintenance is the smarter long-term investment.