In short
Usually not: gel bait is placed in small drops inside cracks, hinges and behind appliances, out of reach and with nothing sprayed into the air. You can stay at home, as long as you don't clean the gel spots and keep children and pets away from treated areas. A spray treatment, when needed, does mean leaving while it is applied and dries.
Gel bait has become the go-to method against German cockroaches in homes. It combines an attractant with an insecticide; cockroaches eat it, return to their hiding places and contaminate the others.
Why you can stay
The gel is applied in lentil-sized dots right where cockroaches live: cupboard hinges, under the sink, behind the fridge, around motors and ducts. It doesn't evaporate or spread through the air, and the total amount used is small.
Precautions to follow
To keep the gel effective and safe:
- Don't clean the gel spots with detergent for several weeks.
- Don't spray shop-bought insecticide: it drives cockroaches away and contaminates the bait.
- Keep children and pets away from the application points listed in the report.
- Put food away and don't leave dirty dishes overnight, so the gel is their only meal.
The days that follow
It is common to see more cockroaches for a few days, even in daylight: they are weakened and leave their hiding places. Because egg cases are protected, a second visit is planned to eliminate the young that hatch after the first treatment.
If spraying is needed (cellar, bin store, very heavy infestation), the technician will ask you to leave the rooms concerned during treatment and until surfaces are dry, then to air them.
Key points
- Gel doesn't spread through the air: you can stay at home.
- Don't wash the gel spots or use shop-bought sprays.
- Seeing more cockroaches in the first days is normal.
- A second visit targets the young hatched from egg cases.
General information, correct at the date of publication; it does not replace personal legal or medical advice.