Borer treatment with pets and children at home
Most families stay home through a borer treatment. A few precautions, mostly about drying time, cats and fish, keep it that way.
Facts and prices checked 5 November 2026
Borer treatment can be done safely in a house with pets and children if you follow the product label: keep children and animals out of treated areas until the product is dry, keep it off food surfaces, toys and bedding, and never spray it into the air as a mist. The extra care is for cats and fish. Permethrin, the active ingredient in most borer treatments, is very toxic to cats and to aquatic life. Subfloor and roof space treatments are well away from where families live, which helps. This answer covers the practical steps; the product safety notice has the general rules.
What do borer product labels say about children and pets?
Borer product labels typically say to keep the product out of reach of children, not to apply it to food or food preparation surfaces, and to keep children and animals out of treated areas until the spray is dry. That last instruction is the one that matters most on treatment day. Drying usually takes a few hours on bare timber, longer in a cool, damp subfloor.
Why are cats a special case?
Cats are a special case because they can't break permethrin down the way people and dogs do. Veterinary charities describe permethrin poisoning in cats as an emergency, with twitching, tremors and seizures. Cats also explore subfloors and roof spaces and groom whatever gets on their fur. Shut cats indoors, away from the treated area, until everything is dry, and keep access hatches closed.
| Household member | Main precaution |
|---|---|
| Children | Out of treated areas until dry; products locked away |
| Cats | Shut away until dry; block subfloor access; see a vet at once if exposed |
| Dogs | Keep away from treated areas and wet spray |
| Fish | Cover tanks and turn off pumps when treating nearby; keep spray out of ponds |
| Birds and small pets | Move cages away from treated rooms and fogger use |
| Adults applying it | Gloves, eye protection, respirator suited to the product in confined spaces |
How long should everyone stay away?
Everyone should stay away until the treated timber is dry, which the label sets as the rule. For a roof space or subfloor, that's simply a matter of keeping the hatch or access closed for the day. For furniture or floors treated inside living areas, keep children and pets out of the room until it's dry and ventilated. Foggers have their own exit and re-entry times on the label.
Borer under the floor or in the roof space? Get a written quote
If you're unsure, ask the technician when the treated areas will be dry before you let pets back near them. Our answer on whether you need to leave home has a treatment-day checklist.
Are some treatments safer around family than others?
Some treatments put less product near your family than others. A residual coat in the subfloor or roof space is applied away from living areas and soaks into timber. Injection puts a small amount directly into holes. Foggers fill a whole space with mist, so they need the most care, and they're the least useful for stopping borer anyway. Freezing small items uses no chemical at all.
The permethrin guide covers the active ingredient, and freezing borer out of furniture covers the chemical-free option for small items.
What should you do if someone is exposed?
If someone swallows a borer product or gets a large amount on their skin or in their eyes, call the National Poisons Centre on 0800 764 766, or 111 in an emergency. Have the product label with you. Wash skin with soap and water and rinse eyes with clean water. If a pet is exposed, especially a cat, call your vet straight away and tell them the active ingredient.
Keep the product in its original container with the label on, so anyone can see what it is quickly.
Questions people ask
Is permethrin safe for dogs?
Dogs tolerate permethrin far better than cats, and it's used in some dog products. They should still be kept away from wet spray and treated areas until dry, as the label says.
Can I treat borer while pregnant?
Ask your doctor or midwife, and consider having someone else apply the product. If you treat yourself, follow the label's protective gear and ventilation advice and stay out of treated areas until dry.
Do treated subfloors affect the air inside the house?
Once a water-based residual treatment has soaked in and dried, it stays in the timber. Ventilate the subfloor and keep access closed while it dries. Solvent-based products smell much more.
Short answers like this one feed into Auckland borer treatment, which sets out every option from DIY to a professional visit.