Fogging for pests in empty house before moving in with tarantulas?

SkittleBunny

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 25, 2016
Messages
96
We are about to move into a house that has been abandoned for some time and it needs fogged for pests (fleas, roaches, flies, unwanted spiders) and I was wondering how long I would need to leave the house venting before moving in with my tarantulas. I was thinking a week with all the doors/windows open and fans going.. but I wasn't sure if that would be enough to clear out all of the pesticides or if I shouldn't fog at all and just go around smashing the pests with a hammer, lol..

If anyone has any advice, it is appreciated :)
 

Olan

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 23, 2002
Messages
857
When I moved in to my current apartment, I found out the landlord had fogged a month earlier. I was really worried about it, but I had no alternative and had to move in. No problems for me. But that was after a month of clearing out. And I was very conscious not to let anything touch the ground or other contaminated surface before it went in with the Ts (example, if I dropped a feeder on the floor, I wouldn’t feed it to a T).
 

AphonopelmaTX

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
May 7, 2004
Messages
1,816
We are about to move into a house that has been abandoned for some time and it needs fogged for pests (fleas, roaches, flies, unwanted spiders) and I was wondering how long I would need to leave the house venting before moving in with my tarantulas. I was thinking a week with all the doors/windows open and fans going.. but I wasn't sure if that would be enough to clear out all of the pesticides or if I shouldn't fog at all and just go around smashing the pests with a hammer, lol..

If anyone has any advice, it is appreciated :)
Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the packaging and before you move in, clean all floors and surfaces thoroughly. Vacuuming all floors and surfaces is something you are going to have to do anyway in order to pick up all of the dead bugs. Just make sure cleaning everything with a mild detergent afterwards is done to wash away all of the pesticide residue of the fogger. Airing the place out by opening windows and running fans is just going to dry out the pesticide, it won't get rid of it.

Since you are moving into a house that has been unoccupied for a length of time, don't forget to treat the exterior of the house and perform maintenance on the yard if there is one. If the house is infested with unwanted bugs, they will come right back in if the exterior isn't treated as well.
 

tmanjim

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 24, 2004
Messages
671
We are about to move into a house that has been abandoned for some time and it needs fogged for pests (fleas, roaches, flies, unwanted spiders) and I was wondering how long I would need to leave the house venting before moving in with my tarantulas. I was thinking a week with all the doors/windows open and fans going.. but I wasn't sure if that would be enough to clear out all of the pesticides or if I shouldn't fog at all and just go around smashing the pests with a hammer, lol..

If anyone has any advice, it is appreciated :)
Most foggers are non residual pesticides like pyrethrum based. Once the material is released it kills what it contacts and then dissipates. Check the label and active ingredients. There will be an oily residue on surfaces that will need to be wiped down. A week should be sufficient with open windows and fans going
 

Teal

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 11, 2009
Messages
4,096
I have always wondered how people who keep inverts can be okay with indiscriminately killing other inverts...

So, of course, my advice is to not fog.
 

antinous

Pamphopharaoh
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 28, 2013
Messages
1,668
I waited around 1 and 1/2 months before moving in my Ts to my apartment, I cleaned all the surfaces (wiped down the walls, kept all the windows open, etc.)and vacuumed thoroughly about two or three times just to be sure.
 
Last edited:

SkittleBunny

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 25, 2016
Messages
96
Since creating this post, I've moved in to the house; we decided not to fog.

We used the flip-flop method and have minimal pest issues.

Thank you all for the replies and advice :)

P.S.. I'll have pure (non hobby form) b.albopilosum and b.vagans babies spring 2019 ;)
 
Top