Getting pest control done at your home? Top questions answered for pet owners and young families

Dubai: Planning to book a pest control service to get rid of cockroaches, bed bugs or mosquitoes at your home? You may have questions regarding how safe it is for your pets, and whether you should let your children stay at home, during the treatment. Gulf News spoke with pest extermination experts in the UAE, to answer all the questions you may have.

1. Is pest control safe if I have pets at home?

“While carrying out pest control, it is recommended that pets are kept away from the areas of treatment,” Dinesh Ramachandran, Technical and Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Manager at Rentokil Boecker, said.

He added that if the pet has ticks or fleas, then they must be treated by a vet.

“A detailed inspection and treatment must be carried out to the areas frequented by the pet, including the car or vehicle in which the pet is being transported to ensure effective results,” he added.

2. Should I notify my neighbours if pest control is being carried out at my home?

“Not necessarily, unless the treatment is carried out to those areas. Should the treatments involve common areas, then the building or community management must notify the tenants of the upcoming schedule and necessary safety precautions as advised by the pest control contractor,” he said.

3. Should I remove food, water or furniture?

According to experts who spoke to Gulf News, all sources of food and water should be removed from display and stored in air-tight containers. It is also advised to remove toys, boxes and dishes.

Most pest control companies don’t request furniture to be removed, but this may vary depending on the type of pest, for example bed bugs or termites.

4. How do I choose the right pest control company?

Ramachandran recommended that people make sure their pest control is licensed by the municipal authority in their emirate.

“You should also check if they are approved to carry out pest control in the UAE and also ask them if they have insurance to cover you, your property and their employees.”

5. How much will it cost?

Ramachandran explained that before you hire a company, you should firstly ask them if they offer multiple solutions for various types of pests and then check if they provide estimates in writing. This can give you a better idea of the costs involved, and help you compare the price offered to you by different service providers.

6. How long will it take to get rid of my pest infestation?

According to Arun Vathalloor Appukuttan, entomologist at Avert Pest Control Hygiene Services, it depends on the type of pest and level of infestation.

“For example, if it's a cockroach infestation, it might take a few weeks or months to get proper results. For mosquitoes, we can kill or repel mosquitoes in a day or two with thermal fogging or Ultra Low Volume (ULV) sprays,” he said.

He added that when it comes to eradicating mosquitoes, the breeding source must be identified first.

“If the breeding source (stagnant water) is not identified and removed properly, we can't eliminate the pest’s activities and even after the treatment, the mosquitos will return,” he said.

7. Is pest control safe if I have an infant or child?

Appukuttan highlighted that chemical pesticides used by pest control companies are designed for controlling both pests that affect public health and household insects and are formulated at a low concentration level and approved by Dubai Municipality and federal government authorities.

“However, there may be chemicals and products that children are allergic to. To ensure safety, the best way is to isolate them from the location during the process and you should come back home after five to six hours. After you return, ventilate the areas and wipe the floor or treated areas with dry cloth,” he said.

8. Does pest control completely get rid of insects?

Appukuttan explained that pests or insects can still enter your home from unsealed gaps, neighbouring apartments or villas and sometimes travel bags or laundry.

“So it is difficult to get rid of pests permanently, but it is possible to reduce the population to a controllable level with tailor-made pest control solutions at regular intervals, depending on the type and species of the pest,” he said.

9. How many times should you conduct pest control?

According to both the experts, the frequency of pest control sessions depends on the type of pest, but a general rule of thumb is every two to three months.