Yes, eco-friendly pest control can be pet friendly, with one condition: your dog or cat has to stay off the treated areas until the product dries. “Eco-friendly” and “pet friendly” describe how a treatment is chosen and applied. They don’t mean a pet can walk through it while it’s still wet. That one step on treatment day is what makes the difference.
Here’s what those words mean in practice, and what to do with your pets when the technician comes.
What “eco-friendly” means in a pest treatment
“Eco-friendly” gets used a lot, so it’s fair to ask any pest control company what they mean by it. For Critter Gitters, it comes down to using treatment where it’s needed and fixing what’s drawing pests in. Our process starts with inspection and diagnosis, not quick fixes. In practice that looks like this:
- Inspection before treatment. We find the pest, where it’s getting in and what’s attracting it before anything is applied.
- Targeted applications. Inside the house, that means crack-and-crevice work where pests hide, plus perimeter work outside, rather than spraying every surface.
- Baits and stations where they fit. Sentricon termite stations, rodent bait stations on our Premium and Elite plans, and In2Care mosquito stations put the product where the pest feeds or rests.
- Fixing the cause. Sealing entry points, dumping standing water and storing pet food and feed in sealed containers all mean pests have less reason to stay.
We describe our products as eco-friendly and pet friendly. Both words come with the drying rule below.
Why we say “pet friendly”, not “pet-safe”
You’ll see “pet-safe” in plenty of pest control ads. Owner Joey Baker, who founded Critter Gitters in 2006, has heard many times not to use that term, and his reason is simple: the product still has to dry before it’s safe for a pet.
Calling a treatment “pet-safe” suggests a dog can run across a freshly treated lawn or lie down along a wet baseboard right away. That isn’t how any pest product should be used. “Pet friendly” is the more honest description: the treatment is chosen and applied with pets in mind, and you do your part by keeping them away until it dries.
What to do with pets on treatment day
A little planning makes the visit easy on everyone, including the animals:
- Tell us about your animals when you book: dogs, cats, birds, fish or reptiles, and where they eat, sleep and spend time outside.
- Bring pets inside, or put them in a room or kennel away from the areas being treated.
- Pick up food and water bowls, toys and pet beds from treated areas, inside and out.
- Cover or move fish tanks and bird cages in rooms that are being treated.
- Keep pets off treated areas until the product dries. That goes for the yard, the outside of the house and any treated baseboards.
- Ask the technician which areas were treated before you let pets back out.
The same rule covers yard services. Mosquito Duo Defense is fogging for the adult mosquitoes resting in shrubs and shade, plus In2Care stations set around the property, serviced monthly from March through October as part of a pest control plan. On those visits, keep pets out of the yard until the fogged areas have dried, then use the yard as normal.
We don’t give a set drying time here, because it depends on what was applied, where and the weather that day. Your technician can tell you what to expect for your visit.
Inspect first, treat only what’s needed
The best way to keep treatment light in a pet household is to treat what the inspection finds and nothing extra. The first inspection is free, and it’s where we work out:
- which pest you actually have;
- how it’s getting in and what’s drawing it;
- where your pets spend their time, so we can plan the treatment around them.
Pet households often call about fleas and ticks. Pet flea preventatives kill fleas that bite your pet, but they don’t clear out the fleas already in your yard and carpets. That’s why our flea and tick control treats the shaded, humid spots where pets rest, along with the edges where ticks wait.
Our home pest control plans treat inside and out every 3 months. Customers on a recurring plan get a re-service at no charge if covered pests come back between visits. Scheduling is usually the same week, you get the price after the inspection, and monthly payments are available.
Critter Gitters is based in Crockett and serves Houston County and nearby East Texas towns. Call 936-261-7965 for a free inspection.
Quick answers
Is eco-friendly pest control safe for dogs and cats?
Our treatments are eco-friendly and pet friendly, with one rule: keep pets off treated areas until the product dries. That rule is why we say “pet friendly”.
How long do pets need to stay off treated areas?
Until the product dries. That depends on what was applied, where and the weather, so ask your technician on the day.
Can my pets stay home during the treatment?
Usually, as long as they’re kept in a room, kennel or area away from what’s being treated until it dries. Tell us about them when you book.
Does eco-friendly mean less effective?
It means treatment goes where the inspection says it’s needed, not everywhere. And if covered pests come back between visits on a recurring plan, we come back at no charge.
