Moving to Dubai from South Africa means swapping one set of pest rules for another. Some things will feel familiar: termites, cockroaches, mosquitoes and the odd snake. Others, like who is allowed to treat your home, are set up differently. This guide compares the two so you know what to ask for in your first month.
What South Africans already know about pests
If you have owned or rented a home in South Africa, you have probably met a few of these:
- Termites and woodborer beetles. In the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, an entomology (beetle) certificate is a customary requirement in a Deed of Sale. It is not a legal requirement, it should cover all wood-destroying insects, including borer beetles and white ants, and it expires after three months.
- Snakes near gardens. If you are used to checking the garden before the children play outside, that habit will serve you in Dubai too.
How pest control is regulated in South Africa
Pest control operators (PCOs) in South Africa are registered under the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act, 1947 (Act 36 of 1947), which lists pest control operators among the things it registers. Property-sale guidance says pest control companies must be registered with the Department of Agriculture.
The trade body is the South African Pest Control Association (SAPCA), established in 1964. Its website offers a "Find Pest Control Company" search by province and town, and members follow a Stewardship Agreement. Membership of SAPCA is separate from the Department of Agriculture registration.
So a South African homeowner is used to two checks: is the operator registered, and does the company belong to a recognised association.
What is similar in Dubai
- Termites are present. A 2005 survey by a UAE University researcher recorded six termite species in the UAE, all subterranean, reaching wood through earthen galleries. All six were found in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Our termite page explains signs to look for.
- Cockroaches. Kitchens, drains and bin areas are the sensible places to look. See cockroach control.
- Mosquitoes follow standing water. Dubai Municipality's advice is to remove standing water around the home, check window screens for damage and keep water tanks and drain covers sealed. It also names water that collects from air conditioners, so check the AC drain as well.
What is different in Dubai
Who may treat your home. In Dubai, pest control companies need a No Objection Certificate from Dubai Municipality's Public Health Pest Control Section before they can obtain a trade licence. The municipality also publishes a list of approved companies. There is no SAPCA-style search to learn; the municipality is the check. Our page on how to check a pest control licence in Dubai walks through it.
Snakes in villa areas. A Dubai Municipality official has identified a Sochurek's saw-scaled viper found under bushes near a residential community in Dubailand in 2019. The report says these snakes are nocturnal and hide under rubbish, hedges and rocks. Residents were advised to call the municipality on 800900, and that professionals should pick the snake up. If you move into a villa, keep hedges trimmed and rubbish cleared, and read our snake page.
Apartments and towers. If you rent in a tower in Dubai Marina or Jumeirah Village Circle, ask your building management what is already arranged for common areas before you book anything inside your unit.
A termite check is your own decision. Ask for one if you are buying or renting a villa with timber, such as doors, frames, pergolas or built-in cupboards.
How BPCA and NPMA connect your home standards to MUMTAZ
At home you may have looked for a SAPCA badge and a registered operator. MUMTAZ is a UAE company, founded in Sharjah in 2006, and it belongs to two trade associations from outside South Africa:
- The British Pest Control Association (BPCA), a UK trade association for pest management.
- The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) in the United States, a non-profit organization representing the structural pest control industry.
They are voluntary trade-body memberships, similar in kind to SAPCA's, and they do not replace the local licence. In Dubai that is the municipality approval.
To check our BPCA membership, contact the association at membership@bpca.org.uk or ask us for proof. Unlike the SAPCA search, NPMA's directory is for members only, so ask NPMA directly or ask us to show proof. MUMTAZ also holds ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 certification, and Dubai Municipality and Abu Dhabi pest control approval; see our certifications.
A short checklist for your first month
- Check whether your building management arranges any pest control for common areas.
- Fix leaks and empty standing water, including from AC drains and plant trays.
- Keep food sealed and rubbish out of the home, especially in a new kitchen.
- In a villa, trim hedges, clear rubbish and look at the timber for termite signs.
- Before you hire, check the company's Dubai Municipality approval. How long to stay out of a treated room and whether follow-up visits are included are questions to ask the company: ask us for MUMTAZ's terms.
If you are choosing a neighbourhood, see our Dubai areas guide.