The essentials
Usually not. The bait gel is placed in tiny dots in the spots where cockroaches live (hinges, appliance motors, service ducts) and nothing is released into the air, so you can stay at home. Just don't wipe those dots, and keep children and pets away from the areas marked in the report. Only a spot spray, if the technician decides one is needed, means leaving the room until it has dried.
A German cockroach spends most of its life hidden close to warmth and moisture, a few centimetres from a crumb. Bait gel makes use of that habit: it goes exactly there, into the harbourages found during the inspection, and the cockroaches feed on it before heading back to shelter.
Placed, not sprayed
During the Treat stage of the Repère Protocol, the technician applies the gel in drops a few millimetres wide behind the fridge, under the sink, in cupboard hinges and along ducts. Nothing is sprayed into the room, so daily life carries on, meals included.
In a shop or a commercial kitchen, the same approach often means the premises can stay open, with the gel kept well away from food preparation surfaces.
What to avoid after the visit
The gel stays active for several weeks, as long as it is neither washed off nor outcompeted:
- Don't wipe the gel dots or use degreaser on those spots.
- Skip shop-bought insect sprays: they scatter cockroaches and make the bait less appealing.
- Don't leave dirty dishes or leftovers out overnight, so the gel remains their best meal.
- Keep children and pets away from the spots shown in the photo report.
The following days and the follow-up visit
Seeing a few cockroaches in daylight just after treatment is common: weakened, they leave their hiding places. The monitoring traps left in place let you track progress without guessing.
Eggs, sealed in their case (the ootheca), are out of the gel's reach. The follow-up visit set by the protocol targets the young that hatch after the first treatment and is the moment to adjust if a harbourage is still active. If a spot spray is needed (bin store, cellar), the room is cleared while it is applied, then aired once dry.
Remember
- Gel is applied in dots: nothing goes into the air.
- Don't clean the gel dots, and no shop-bought sprays.
- More cockroaches visible for a few days is expected.
- The follow-up visit targets the young from the egg cases.
General information, valid at the date of publication; it is no substitute for advice from a lawyer or a health professional.