Is Mosquito Control Safe For Pets?

Posted by Mosquito Squad
Is Mosquito Control Safe For Pets?

December 20, 2023

When properly applied by a professional pest control technician, mosquito control products will not harm your pets. They have very low toxicity and are applied at a very diluted rate. The products that we use are formulated for insects, which have a different biology than most pets, which are typically mammals, birds or reptiles.

You will notice, though, that our technicians wear protective gear, including face masks, glasses, gloves and hearing protection. We take these precautions because our technicians are exposed to our products throughout the day. Once the product has had a chance to dry and settle out of the air, both people and pets can return to the yard and use it as normal. The product will no longer be in the air and it will adhere to any surfaces so that it won’t come off on your skin. We always recommend staying out of the yard for 30 minutes after treatment.

If you have outdoor pets such as chickens or rabbits, we should still be able to effectively treat your yard. These animals are usually confined to a coop or hutch, so it is easy to avoid them and their food. Some customers have large animals like llamas, horses and goats, but they are usually not in the areas that we treat. With any livestock we are careful to avoid their feed supply.

A big handsome dog our technician encountered on a job

Dogs are our biggest concern because they represent the greatest risk to our technicians’ safety and to their own safety.

  1. Escape Risk. Our technicians will close the gate on their way in and out of your yard, but some gates are difficult to latch, and some dogs will charge the gate as we go in or out. We don’t want your dogs to be endangered by escaping from your yard.

  2. Stranger Danger. Not all dogs react well to a stranger entering their yard. Our technicians wear hats and masks, and carry loud equipment. Some dogs will see us as a threat and bark or charge. We don’t want our technicians to be harmed by a frightened animal.

  3. Surprise Appearance. Even if your dog doesn’t do direct harm to our technicians, they can startle them and cause them to trip or fall down. With a heavy pack on their back, a fall can be quite serious.

  4. Under Foot. Very friendly dogs can get in the way, making it difficult for us to complete the service. We will do everything we can to avoid directly spraying an animal, but it is very hard to avoid if they are trying to play.

In summary, our products are not going to hurt your pets, but we do want to protect them and our employees. We are here to help Central Texas customers enjoy their yards! Please communicate with us in advance so that we know what to expect and can treat safely.