Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The chemicals we use are based on a grams of toxin to Kilogram of target pest. Generally you will need approximately 5000mg of pyrethrin dust per kilogram of body weight to make you sick.

Rodents weigh very little. The baits used by Dunrite are the best on the market at the time we buy, we have had no cases of ‘secondary poisoning’. Secondary poisoning can occur if a small dog has the ability to eat a large heavily poisoned rat. The level of ingested toxin would still be minimal. If a dog was to eat a bait that had for whatever reason become available to the dog, then a trip to the vet for a shot of Vitamin K is recommended asap. Generally, this isn’t a problem in larger dog breeds.

Not if the chemical contaminates the bird food. Birds are very light. This makes them susceptible to harm if they are not correctly protected from a pest control treatment. All measures should be taken to protect birds from direct spray, or ‘overspray’ and the food and water of any pets should also be protected.

There is little information available on the susceptibility of lizards or other reptiles to pesticides. However, Hall (1980) noted that reports of reptilian mortality following pesticide applications are numerous enough to establish the sensitivity of reptiles to these chemicals. It would be wise to be selective as to where the pesticides are applied if you have reptiles living in your home and we would certainly recommend removal of the reptile while the treatment is occurring. If you have pet reptiles, you SHOULD ALWAYS advise the Pest Control Technician prior to treatment.

There is no issue being in the house at the time of a Pest Control Treatment. Dunrite doesn’t use fumigants in General Pest Control Treatments. We use fumigants in specialised treatments only.

If you have scheduled a pest control treatment, make sure you warn all occupants in the house to put all clothes in the wash basket and clean their rooms. This results in a better treatment and is one of the few times your children will actually clean their bedrooms. It is important to have a clear, clean space in areas where you have noticed a particular problem. This gives the Technician an opportunity to apply that “extra” attention to these areas for a more effective treatment – especially in the case of German Cockroach infestations. Cupboards in particular (for bad German Cockroaches) are better to be emptied and cleaned PRIOR to the treatment. It is also important NOT TO KNOCK DOWN ANY SPIDER WEBS BEFORE A TREATMENT. We need the webs to be present so we can contaminate those webs for a more effective result.

This will depend entirely on which chemicals, which in turn will depend on your target pest. Different chemicals are designed to attack the nervous system, some to create anti coagulating, such as rodent baits. You will start to see dead pests within 24hrs of the treatment being completed – however, due to the breeding cycles of many pests, you can expect to still see live pests for up to 6 weeks after the treatment. For example, the life cycle of a cockroach can be 4-6 weeks. The chemical we use to control cockroaches is a residual chemical that is absorbed by the Cockroach when they encounter the chemical, although primarily the chemical is ingested by the cockroach at the time they get comfortable and groom themselves. The chemical we use has an IGR (growth regulator) which impacts on the eggs left behind by the cockroach. A German Cockroach will drop an egg cell as they die. The egg cell holds between 20-40 baby German Cockroaches. The egg cell will generally hatch about 3 weeks after being laid. German Cockroaches will shed 7 times as they reach maturity. The IGR stops the cockroach from shedding its shell. There is approximately 6 weeks between treatment and eradication based on IGR and life cycle factors.

There is a common perception that as soon as a Pest Control Treatment is completed that everything should be instantly dead. We can give thanks to the media campaigns of the likes of Baygon etc for this. These commercials show you cockroaches walking across a sprayed area and instantly flipping onto it’s back and dying – just like that! What the commercial doesn’t show you is the setting up of an electrified surface prior to the filming that creates this result. The joys of manipulated media! You will have cockroaches enter the house and walk around annoying you until they come in contact with the treatment zone. The cockroach will then get to a place where they feel happy and comfortable, This is when they clean their feet and groom themselves, ingesting the toxin of the treatment zone. The cockroach will begin to die after cleaning itself. As explained in the point above, there is breeding/life cycles of the pest to take into consideration.

Huntsman are an example of a non-webbing spider. They will forage through gardens for food. Sometimes they will come into the house. If the huntsman walks on the treatment zone, this will not effect it. Spiders don’t absorb the chemical they walk on and they don’t clean themselves like a cockroach, so they don’t ingest the chemical. If a huntsman sits on the chemical, there is a chance the toxin will be absorbed through the dermal layer of the spiders body and you may then find them curled up somewhere dead. We are able to warranty webbing spiders because the chemicals we use in the treatment will crystallise on their webs, which will then transfer easily to the spider as he moves about his web.

Sure! You can even get one company to give you a 12 month warranty on everything. Please don’t for a moment think that all your pests will be gone for 12 months. That would be as ridiculous as the warranty, to think your pests will be gone for 12 months. Some business owners make the sub-contractors support unrealistic warranties to get the job. There is a real expectation to warranty cockroaches for 12 months, German roaches for 6 months and webbing spiders for 3 months. IF you don’t spray a spider directly or affect it directly, you aren’t being realistic to expect it will die from residual effects of a treatment done more than three months ago. Most warranty periods are determined on what other reasonable companies are offering.

No. We take care not to contaminate food, cutlery or plates/bowls and cooking utensils. But it is important to not have opened or unsealed food around when the treatment is occurring.

If you can handle not mopping for two weeks, that will give the chemical a fair chance to work. However, if you are a little OCD, then go ahead and mop once the chemical has dried, but do not mop the treatment zone, which is close vicinity to the skirting boards. You can sweep the treatment zone if that makes you feel a little better, but for an effective treatment – no mopping for 2 weeks.

Depending on the chemical, internally the chemical we use will be effective for 9-12 months. Externally used chemical is subject to weather conditions and U.V breakdown. Some chemical will breakdown after about 3 hours (but it’s cheap and not what we use) and other chemicals can be washed into ant nests when it rains, making it even more effective. This is one of those “How long is a piece of string” type of questions. Just don’t go with a cheap treatment, from a company that is not reputable. Like most things in life – you will get what you pay for, and always ask to see liability insurances and licences. Unfortunately, there is many operators out there that are not insured and not licenced.