Cockroaches, ants and rodents in Spanish homes: what to do

Key rules

• Who pays: The landlord pays for infestations linked to building defects or damp, the tenant for those caused by their own habits, and the community for common areas and drains.
• Licensed company: Use a company registered in your region's biocide-applicator register.
• Certificate: Ask for the service certificate before you pay.
• Second visit: Cockroach and bed-bug treatments usually need a follow-up visit.
• Report in writing: Tell your landlord or administrator early in writing and keep the company's report.

Which pest do you have?

Match what you see to the pest. A company will confirm it, but this tells you what to say on the phone.

Cockroaches. They are common in Spanish cities, especially in older blocks, ground-floor flats and warm coastal areas. Look for live insects at night, dark droppings like grains of pepper, egg cases, a musty smell and smear marks. Check behind appliances, under sinks and around drains. Small ones in the kitchen or bathroom are usually German cockroaches. Larger ones usually come up from sewers and drains.

Ants. They enter kitchens and bathrooms along pipes and cracks. Find and seal the entry points, remove food and water, and clean the trails with soapy water or vinegar. Use ant gel bait. Don't spray, because spraying scatters the colony.

Rats and mice. Droppings, gnaw marks and noises are the signs. Store food in sealed containers, block gaps with wire wool, mesh or sealant, and clear clutter and waste. Snap traps are fine. Avoid loose poison if you have pets or children. If the signs continue, or you live in a community building, call a company and tell the administrator. Rats often come from shared drains or garages.

Bed bugs. These are reddish-brown oval insects, 4 to 7 mm long. Look for itchy bites in lines or clusters, small dark spots or blood stains on mattresses and sheets, shed skins and a sweetish smell. They hide in mattress seams, bed frames, headboards and skirting boards. Shop sprays usually fail and spread them, so call a professional. Wash bedding and clothes at 60 °C or dry them on a hot cycle. Bag them, vacuum thoroughly, and don't move furniture to other rooms.

Silverfish. These are fast, silvery insects of 1 to 2 cm, found in bathrooms, kitchens and behind books. They are harmless to health but damage paper and fabric, and they point to damp. Ventilate, fix leaks, use a dehumidifier, seal cracks and store paper and food in sealed containers. If they persist, call a company.

How fumigation works

Use a licensed company, registered in the regional biocide-applicator register, with certified technicians. The usual steps are:

1. The company inspects, names the pest and gives you a quote. Inspections are usually free or low-cost, so get several written quotes.
2. It applies the treatment: spray, gel bait or fogging. Bed bugs and termites need their own methods.
3. It gives you a service certificate and the safety data for the products used. Ask for the certificate before you pay.

Prepare the home as the timeline below describes. Plan to be out for 2 to 4 hours. Fogging or stronger treatments can take up to 24 hours. Then ventilate for 30 to 60 minutes. Pregnant people, children and pets should stay away until the product dries.

Expect a second visit. Cockroach treatments normally need one after about 2 to 3 weeks. Bed bugs often need two visits 10 to 15 days apart, or a heat treatment. Many companies give a warranty period, so get its terms in writing.

What it costs

Prices depend on the company, region, flat size and how bad the problem is. Cockroach and general insect treatments are usually the cheapest. Bed bugs cost more because of the second visit or heat treatment. Termites are the most expensive and can run to thousands of euros for a whole building. Written quotes are the only reliable way to know your price.

Who pays

The landlord pays for infestations linked to building defects or damp, the tenant for those caused by their own habits, and the community for common areas and drains.

In practice:

• Landlord: structural problems, damp and problems that were there before you moved in, including termites or woodworm in the structure.
• Tenant: problems from your own habits or belongings, such as cockroaches from food waste or bed bugs brought in with luggage.
• Community: drains, garages, roofs and other shared areas. It pays from the community budget, shared by owners.

Your lease may split costs differently, so read it. Disputes over the cause are common. Report the problem to your landlord early and in writing, and keep the company's report, because it helps show the cause. Bed bug costs in rentals are often argued over, and neighbours' flats may need inspecting too.

Town halls also run periodic sewer treatments. Ask yours if they are due.

Timeline and deadlines

• Company inspects, identifies the pest and gives a quote: at the first visit, before any treatment

• Prepare the home: clear surfaces and floors, cover food, move pets, fish tanks and plants out, pull furniture from walls: before the treatment starts

• Stay out of the home while the product is applied: usually 2 to 4 hours, sometimes up to 24 hours for fogging or stronger treatments

• Ventilate the home before you move back in: for 30 to 60 minutes after the treatment

• Second visit for bed bugs: 10 to 15 days after the first visit

Documents you need

• Service certificate from the pest-control company, issued after the treatment. Ask for it before you pay.

• Product safety data sheet for the biocides used, given by the company so you know what was applied in your home.

• Written quote from a licensed company, ideally from several, before you agree to any treatment.

• Warranty or follow-up terms in writing, if the company offers a warranty period after the treatment.

Check with the company what paperwork it will give you before you book.

Checklist

• Look for droppings, gnaw marks, noises, dark spots on mattresses, shed skins or itchy bites in lines to identify the pest.

• Ask a licensed company, registered in the regional biocide-applicator register, to inspect and name the pest.

• Clear surfaces and floors, cover or remove food and utensils, and take pets, fish tanks and plants out.

• Keep pregnant people, children and pets away until the product dries, then ventilate before you return.

• Book the second visit and ask for the service certificate.

• Ask your landlord or community administrator who pays if the problem may come from the building, damp or shared drains.

What to watch out for

• Shop sprays spread bed bugs: Do-it-yourself sprays often fail and push bed bugs into other places, and moving furniture to other rooms spreads them too. Call a professional, keep furniture where it is, and wash bedding at 60 °C.

• Spraying scatters ant colonies: Spraying ants breaks up the colony instead of ending it.

• Loose poison is risky with pets or children: Loose rodent poison can harm pets and children in the home. Use snap traps, seal gaps and store food in sealed containers.

• Rats in a shared building: Rats often come from shared drains or garages, so treating only your flat will not stop them coming back. Tell the community administrator and call a licensed pest-control company if droppings or noises persist.

• Neighbours' flats may be infested: In a block, bed bugs can be in neighbouring units, so one treated flat may be reinfested. Tell the administrator and your neighbours so they can be inspected.

Household pests in Spain: quick answers

How long do you have to leave the flat during fumigation?

Most treatments need you out for 2 to 4 hours, and fogging or stronger treatments can need up to 24 hours. Ventilate the flat for 30 to 60 minutes before you go back in.

Does one fumigation visit get rid of cockroaches?

Usually not, because cockroach treatments normally need a second visit after about 2 to 3 weeks. Many companies give a warranty period after the treatment. Ask for the service certificate and keep it.

Can I get rid of bed bugs with sprays from the shop?

No, shop sprays often fail and can spread bed bugs to other rooms. A professional usually treats all hiding places in two visits 10 to 15 days apart, or uses heat above about 50 to 60 °C. Meanwhile, wash bedding and clothes at 60 °C and bag them.

Are silverfish harmful, and how do you get rid of them?

Silverfish are harmless to health, but they damage books, papers and fabrics and point to damp. Lower the humidity by ventilating, using a dehumidifier and fixing leaks. If they keep coming back, call a licensed pest-control company.

How much does pest control cost in Spain?

Cockroach and general insect treatments for a standard flat are among the cheapest, while bed bugs cost more and termites the most. Prices vary by company, region and flat size. Ask several licensed companies for written quotes, as inspections and quotes are often free or low-cost.