Essential Pesticide Safety Tips for Families and Pet Owners

Original Publish Date: May 11th, 2017 | Updated: May 28th, 2026

 

There are many things to love about pets, but their tendency to bring insects inside your home isn’t one of them. Pet owners have heightened pest-control needs compared to households without pets, but they’re also among the most hesitant to consider their pesticide options. 

We completely understand the concern, but in many cases, misinformation and misconceptions about pesticide safety and use make it seem much scarier than it actually is. That keeps pet owners from treating their property for fear it could harm their furry family members.

In this blog, our pest experts debunk some of the most common myths about pesticide safety and pets.

Myth #1: There’s No Such Thing as Pesticide Safety Around Pets

While this myth may have had some factual basis years ago, it’s no longer true today. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) carefully monitors and regulates pesticide use to minimize safety risks to people, animals, and the environment; it removes unsafe pesticide products from the market and prohibits them. 

Ultimately, forgoing pesticides altogether could do more harm than good, since pest control treatments help kill yard pests like fleas and ticks, which pose a threat of disease to pets they bite.

There are dozens of pesticides available with varying levels of toxicity. As long as the application is properly planned and applied, there shouldn’t be a risk to pets.

Myth #2: I’d Have to Keep My Pets Out of the Yard for a Few Days After Pest Control Treatment

Although you will need to keep pets out of the treated area after treatment, it’s usually only for a few hours. One study found that herbicides used to kill weeds can persist on the lawn for up to 48 hours, whereas insecticides do not. 

Pesticides on your lawn just need to dry completely before being safe for pets to return, but that typically takes only 1–4 hours. However, the longer you keep them off the lawn post-treatment, the better.

Myth #3: Natural Remedies Work Just as Well as Pesticides

Many “natural” remedies are effective at preventing pest problems in a localized area, especially on houseplants. However, they do little to eradicate existing insect populations, especially infestations. If they worked in every pest situation, we’d use them every time because we’re only interested in the most effective treatments, and the health and safety of the families we serve are our priority. 

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is one of the few natural remedies that work for specific purposes, but it’s messy, very localized, and can be inconvenient. You have to make sure it doesn’t get wet for it to work; when wet, it loses its dessicant power to dry out insects exposed to it. 

Some natural remedies can also be more dangerous for pets than pesticides. Take garlic, for example. A myth started going around that garlic could kill fleas. Not only have studies shown that garlic won’t kill fleas, but it can also be poisonous to dogs and cats in large doses.

Myth #4: Pesticides Will Make Fleas and Ticks More Resistant

There’s no evidence of insects developing the power of invincibility; no studies have shown that pesticides are breeding treatment-resistant bugs.

At Vulcan Termite and Pest Control Inc., our highly experienced pest control technicians take every possible precaution to protect people and pets. We only use pesticides approved for their intended use and follow rigorous pesticide safety standards.

Kill pests and protect your pets with custom pest control treatments—contact us today!