People often think that just being clean is enough to prevent pest infestations, but sometimes it's not. They may try any number of solutions before finally paying for professional fumigation, which has nearly a 100 percent success rate, whether with noxious agents or even something natural like neem oil. But whether it's a fumigant or a pesticide spray, there are safety issues after pest control treatment in the kitchen.
In Doubt? Throw It Out!
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Fumigation is designed to be invasive and go everywhere to exterminate bugs. Even orange oil, considered natural with no ill effects after 48 hours, is considered dangerous if it enters food products. A spray may not be as invasive as fumigation, but it's airborne and its range of travel is further than what the human eye sees.
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So nearby fruits and vegetables, packaged crackers and breads, foil-wrapped cookies and blister-packed pills are susceptible to fumigant or spray permeating their skins or packaging in your cabinets. As for fumigants, even the fridge and freezer contents should be bagged or removed, as the appliances are intended to be fumigated too.
If you suspect anything has been subjected to spraying or fumigant, don't gamble — ditch it.
Indoor Pest Control
When you hire a pest control company, they use a pesticide that targets the type or types of insects you're trying to get rid of. Broad-spectrum pest control products often contain potent chemicals, but you can often request a child- and pet-safe insecticide.
Most pesticides used in home pest control include natural ingredients like neem oil, peppermint oil, pyrethrin, citronella or other essential oils. Chemical ingredients used include imidacloprid, indoxacarb, acephate, carbaryl, boric acid and fipronil. These can all have bad effects on humans and pets, so follow the recommendations of your pest control company when it comes to ventilation and safety.
Cabinet Safety Tips
There's an upside to removing everything from your cabinets: It's an excellent opportunity to clean and organize. But you're generally not supposed to clean up the residue of pest control products, so it's important to clean before the product is used.
It's the same with cleaning after roach spray. It's supposed to remain as a deterrent, so cleaning it can negate its effects. The thing is, though, it's only the perimeter that really matters, because that's where bugs travel. They rarely cross the middle. So you may be able to wipe the centers of shelves, walls and floors, but not the corners or perimeters —especially for professional sprays designed with a 30- to 90-day life. Follow the "perimeter" rule for the duration.
Before putting everything back, remember that this is exactly what shelf and drawer liners are is great for. Even if you can't wipe down the bottoms of the shelves after spraying, you can always lay down new shelf paper.
Dishes and Cookware
If you're not keen on washing everything after the pest control's job is done, remove all the dishes, gadgets, cookware, pots and pans from your kitchen beforehand. Double-bag them with fumigation bags or take them to a neighbor's. If you do leave everything as is, you'll need to wash everything before you use it.
Seeing More Bugs After Spraying
It's totally natural to see an increase in bugs for up to 10 days after pest control treatment, believe it or not. With roach bait and the like, the insects will take the poison back to their nests or colonies, and the die-off should begin within a few days.
If activity continues after 10 days, most pest control companies will return for another treatment or two, so make sure you find out what their policy is regarding subsequent visits. Critters like roaches need water when they're dying, so make sure you leave no standing water in your home after spraying and wipe down the sink, tub and shower after use.