UK pest control in 2026 is mostly carried out with targeted gels, dusts, and crack-and-crevice sprays — they're designed to be safe for people and pets to be in the same building while the technician works. Whole-room fogging is the exception, not the rule.
Treatments where you don't need to leave
- Mouse and rat baiting (any setting)
- Wasp nest treatment (stay indoors for 30 min after the technician leaves)
- Ant gel application (kitchen accessible immediately after)
- Cockroach gel baiting
- Single-room bed bug spray treatments (room itself off-limits for 4 hours)
- Flea spray treatment (stay out of treated rooms for 4 hours, ventilate after)
Treatments where you do need to leave
- Whole-house ULV (ultra-low volume) fogging — typically 4–6 hours minimum, ventilate before re-entry.
- Heat treatment for bed bugs (whole property heated to 50°C+) — 6–8 hours minimum.
- Whole-house woodworm treatment with permethrin spray — 24 hours, longer if you have very young children.
- Fumigation (rare in domestic UK) — 24–48 hours, technician will give clearance.
What to do before the technician arrives
- 01Clear the treatment area — pull furniture away from skirting boards, lift rugs.
- 02Remove pet food and water bowls.
- 03Cover fish tanks and switch off pumps.
- 04Vacuum the room thoroughly (especially for bed bugs and fleas) — physically reduces population before treatment.
- 05Wash and bag bedding for fleas/bed bugs at 60°C, ready to go in immediately after.
After treatment
Don't clean the treated area for 14 days — wiping or vacuuming removes the residual product that kills returning insects. The technician will tell you exactly what's safe to wipe and what to leave alone. See the when to call pest control guide and the species pages for treatment-specific aftercare.