Is indoor pest control safe for pets?

Pest control is not just important; it’s necessary if your house or garden has a pest problem. Also, you may be requiring a tick pest control service or flea treatment because of your pets. In any case, some homeowners with pets are cautious about hiring a pest control service because they’re worried that their pets might get harmed in the process. This is especially relevant when summer pests may invade the garden. Here at Inoculand, we’re a pet-friendly, indoor pest control company, and we want to keep pets safe as much as you do. Read on for our guide to keeping pets safe during pest control.

Notify your pest controller

First things first, you must tell your pest controller that you have pets so that they can take the necessary precautions. It’s also pertinent that you explain what type of pet(s) you have and how many. Your pest controller will then give you the best advice for your particular circumstances and use pet-friendly pest control products if possible. Also, there are also non-toxic means of control that can be implemented.

For example, due to the way amphibians, reptiles, birds, and fish breathe, they are most sensitive to fumigation, and so they need to be kept away from certain types of pesticides. Mammals, on the other hand, are less sensitive, and therefore need only be away for just a few hours, generally speaking. Your pest controller will answer any specific questions you have regarding your pet.

Plan for pest control in advance

The best course of action is to remove your pets from your house during a pest control procedure involving spraying or fumigation, regardless of the type of pest problem you have. Therefore, you must plan where and how you’re going to take your pets while your house is being serviced. Can they stay with a friend for the day? Do you have a garage you can safely leave them in for a while? Do you need to use a kennel or pet-sitting service? These must all be considered before your pest controller arrives.

Cover their enclosure(s)

For some pets, it may not be practical to move them out of the house, for example, fish in tanks or reptiles in large enclosures. In this case, cover their enclosure in order to protect them. Use blankets and protective films to not only protect them from any chemicals that are being used, but also to calm them down. Having strangers in your house and making noise may be distressing for your pets, and using thick blankets to create darkness can calm them down.

If you have a cat or a dog, we also advise covering or removing their sleeping area. Chemicals or simply unfamiliar smells can cause distress to your four-legged friend. More importantly, when treating fleas and ticks, hot washing their sleeping mat is critical. Not doing it would render any tick pest control services pointless.

Cover their food/water bowls and toys

While protecting your pets’ enclosures and beds is important, equally as important is protecting their accessories. By accessories, we mean the other things they would use day-to-day, such as food and water bowls, their toys and blankets, even their leads. If possible, remove them from the area. If not, cover them or lock them in an uncontaminated cupboard, and be sure to clean them thoroughly after. Better to be safe than sorry!

Keep them away from traps

You may have a pest problem that requires the use of poison or physical traps to solve. If you have a pet that is susceptible to being lured by one of these traps, such as a gerbil or even a small dog or cat, then we advise you to be extremely vigilant for a long as you have traps in your house or garden. It may seem obvious to say, but pets have a funny way of getting into areas where they shouldn’t be, and the bait that is used to lure a pest may also attract the attention of your pet.

This is why at Inoculand, we do not place the bait boxes and traps in exposed areas and leave them at behind the kickboards of the kitchen units. Not only is this more efficient for catching pests, but it also makes the traps inaccessible to most pets. Whenever possible, we place bait boxes out of reach and out of sight, where pets can’t get to them.

For example, if you have a rat or fox problem in your garden and your pest controller lays traps, then we advise not letting your dog into the garden at all during this period. At the end of last year, we had placed a number of live traps to catch foxes on a residential development. At one point, we were called in because we had actually caught a kitten. No harm was done in this case, but a kitten getting into a Fenn-trap would have been fatal.

Your pet may also need pest control for fleas and ticks

If you require pest control services to take care of fleas or ticks and you have a furry or feathery pet, it’s likely that your pet will also have it too (they most likely caused the problem in your house, to begin with). Before contracting a tick pest control service, you should consult a vet immediately to treat your pet for fleas and ticks or check for pest-related illness.

What is done during a tick pest control service?

Pest control for ticks in houses is actually not that different than treating fleas. It is a matter of carrying a thorough round of spraying throughout the area frequented by the dog. The challenges come from the ticks that are actually around the house. We have several clients who live in large properties surrounded by woodlands. If a particular outdoor area is affected, it may require treatment as well.

Similar issues can arise with foxes frequenting your lawn and infesting it with fleas. Having outdoor space is possibly the greatest asset to a pet owner, and not being able to use it because of fleas or ticks is a real letdown.

So, there you have it; our simple guide to keeping pets safe during pest control. Your pest controller will take all the necessary precautions, but it’s far better if you, as a pet owner, know the steps that need to be taken during a pest control visit. If you own a pet and think you may have a pest problem, get in touch with Inoculand today to find out how we can help you. For more information on the services we provide, be sure to visit our services page.