Bugs and Bug Spray?

[Knabbel Did It]

We have the “Bug Lady” come spray every few months to keep away the creepy-crawly critters that we didn’t invite into the house, but now I’m wondering if that could be a potentially bad thing for the new bunny we plan on bringing home this week.  She usually sprays inside all along the outside walls and in all of the corners.  Thankfully we’ve never had much of an insect problem, which I consider due in part to having the house sprayed regularly.  Other than asking her ahead of time if there is something more pet-friendly that she can use, how long should I wait to let the bun back out into the areas where she has sprayed?  Should I have her not spray the bun’s room at all?  The main ‘bad’ bugs we see here centipedes, scorpions, and black widows.  Not very often, but I have found them inside the house occasionally; mostly centipedes…eck!  Thanks.

[Monkeybun]

Definitely keep bun away from any room that is sprayed. It is NOT good for bunnies. You will want to fully clean the carpet and walls that have been sprayed before your bun gets home, you won’t want any residual pesticides being eaten.

[Beka27]

And I’d still see what kind of more pet-friendly alternative products she can use throughout the house.

(Altho, if I were facing centipedes, scorpions, and BLACK WIDOWS I’d be tempted to spray every darn chemical known to man. ICK!)

[Kate Monster]

I would definitely ask if there are any pet friendly products because well, scorpions and black widows aren’t particularly good for bunnies either or if there is a way she can spray so that the bunny area is avoided but the buggies still don’t come in. But definitely clean the carpets and such to make sure there isn’t any residue to injest through nibbling or licking.

[Knabbel Did It]

I’ll have to do more research before I have the bug lady comes back. This is almost a lose-lose situation. Bug spray is bad for the buns, but having a black widow bite the bun could be even worse. Although the black widows we see are usually outside and we haven’t seen a scorpion inside or outside in several many years, I just hesitate to not spray at all for fear that they may start coming in. The centipedes are so gross, but they are usually small and dying by the edge of the wall when we do find them – probably because of the bug spray. Ohhh, and those super nasty “Child of the Earth” bugs! Run Away! Run Away!

Such fun to live in the high desert…

[Kate Monster]

Maybe your local house rabbit society chapter would have some suggestions? You can’t be the only person dealing with the issue.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Ask about something pet friendly-and have her skip the buns room.

I have to ask-are the bunnies home when she’s spraying? I think some bug sprays are neuro toxins, it would be very bad if they are home when she’s spraying…

[littlemissflip]

Is it possible to have her just spray the exterior of the house and not the interior? It would make me very worried to have my pets (or myself, for that matter) exposed the the spray indoors.

[RabbitPam]

My parents’ exterminator who comes monthly definitely has pet-friendly chemicals that he uses. He also did not spray inside the room where my bunny and I stayed one time. I think spray is also a misnomer, since it is a very directed focus from a tube that gets into the edges of walls, doors, windows and cracks – it does not spray wide like a bathroom canister so it never gets into a carpet or across a floor unless you point it there. It’s inhaling fumes that is more risky. I have always asked an exterminator to use pet-friendly, and to only spray along the outside of the bunny’s room, not inside. Any fumes or airborne issues usually settle in a few minutes according to them, so I would give it an hour but then being in the rooms should be safe after that.

You can also ask for traps instead of sprays. My apartment complex will put ant and traps for bugs like palmettos (skin crawling huge icky ones) that are stuck way back inside cabinets where they find holes to crawl out. The trap gets the poison onto the bug, the bug goes back in the walls, and the stuff gets on the nest and wipes them out before they can return, so it’s not actually in your home where you live. Ask her to use traps and see if that works better for you.

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