Schools and nurseries in Al Balad, Jeddah

Targeted, not broadcast

Product goes into cracks and runways, never sprayed across open surfaces.
Told before we start

What we will use, where it goes, and what to cover or move before we arrive.
A follow-up visit

We return after the first treatment, because what survives it does not show on the day.
Homes and businesses

Apartments and villas, and kitchens and stores that need a record of each visit.

Why they keep coming back in Al Balad

The stone walls are thick but hold deep cracks and historic voids that shelter insects; school rooms are often stacked vertically in narrow buildings with no space between them and the street. The method is set out in full on the full Schools and nurseries page.

The first reason

Daily food markets and constant waste streams

The souqs operate dawn to dusk with fresh goods, offal and food waste on the streets. Insects move between market stalls and school buildings through gaps in adjacent walls. There is no clean boundary between the trading street and the school entrance.

The second reason

Heritage stone fabric and protected voids

Coral stone walls with timber rawashin latticework contain old cracks, historic air pockets and gaps that are listed as heritage elements and cannot be sealed hard. Treatment must avoid the visible fabric and work through the concealed voids inside the walls.

The third reason

Shared pipework and connected basements

Schools in these blocks often share water and sewer lines with neighbouring merchants. Insects move between buildings via old shared ducts in the basements. Treating one school alone does not stop insects migrating in from adjoining premises.

Al Balad on the map

Al Balad sits about 1.5 km from Al Hindawiyah and about 1.5 km from East Al Baghdadiyah.

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Before treatment

What sets the shape of a school programme

Souq Al Alawi and Souq Al Badu trade food goods daily on either side of the old quarters, and schools here share walls with merchants' storage, restaurants and food prep areas that draw pests constantly.

An empty school dining hall with tables and benches

The canteen and the food store

The canteen and food store sit on ground level adjacent to the lane or souq, requiring robust sealing and regular checks for cracks opening in old mortar between the stone blocks.

An empty nursery room with floor mats and low shelving

Floor level in a nursery

Nursery floors are often damp because old water pipes run beneath them and the stone foundations wick moisture upward; insects shelter in gaps under old tile and in the grout lines.

Cardboard boxes stacked on shelving in a storeroom

The paper and cardboard store

Paper and cardboard stores in heritage buildings face seasonal damp from poor ventilation in thick stone walls; insects gather where boxes sit against the wall perimeter and in corner voids.

An outdoor drain grate holding standing water

Standing water in the yard

The yard is small and slopes inward, collecting water in corners after rain and beneath drain grates; standing water draws mosquitoes from the surrounding area.

An exterior metal door with a gap beneath it

The gap under the service door

The service door sits in a centuries-old stone frame with a large gap between timber and stone; it cannot be sealed hard without damaging the heritage fabric.

A concrete boundary wall with shrubs and a drip line beside it

The wall line, irrigation and planting

The compound wall is ancient coral stone with deep cracks along its length; drainage and irrigation for any planted areas must avoid pooling against the base, where insects shelter in stone voids.

How we work

1
Survey the building and zone it

We walk from the service gate through the canteen, the stores, the classrooms, the washrooms and the yard, record the entry routes, the moisture and the species pressure, and grade every area by who occupies it and for how long.
2
Schedule it against the calendar

Work that needs an empty building, closing entry points, treating the drains and the perimeter, goes into the long breaks. Station reads and spot treatment happen after the students leave or at the weekend. We agree in advance who opens the building and which rooms are cleared and covered.
3
Targeted treatment, out of reach

Gel bait inside joints and cracks, dust into the dry voids, enclosed stations fixed where a child cannot reach them, and targeted spray on junctions and service areas, never on open surfaces or play flooring.
4
Follow up and record it

We come back on the date the life cycle sets, such as a visit timed to a cockroach hatch, re-read the points, treat whatever is still active, and hand over a report with the dates, the positions and what the building itself needs closed.

What a school and nursery programme includes

Building survey and zone plan

A walk that fixes the entry routes, the food areas and the child areas, and a plan with the monitoring positions numbered before anything is installed.
Enclosed bait and stations

Stations fixed in positions a child cannot get to, and gel bait inside joints and cracks rather than on any surface.
Treatment outside teaching hours

After the students leave, at the weekend or in a break, on junctions and service areas, with the surfaces wiped down before anyone comes back.
Drains, waste and standing water

Kitchen and washroom gullies, the ground around the containers, the yard drains and the air conditioning trays, on every visit.
Room preparation and aftercare

Which rooms are cleared and which surfaces are covered before we arrive, what is wiped down before the students come back, and the ventilation time we set for each case on the call.
Scheduled visits and a report each time

Dates agreed across the term, and a report carrying the dates, the positions, the findings and the state of every corrective action.

Landmarks of Al Balad

Work near Nassif House and Al Shafi'i Mosque requires coordination with heritage authorities and often entry from a side lane rather than the main souq. Timing is set to avoid Souq Al Alawi's peak trading hours and ensure the school can host treatment without disrupting the markets alongside.

Nassif House
Al Shafi'i Mosque
Souq Al Alawi
Souq Al Badu
Bab Makkah
Bab Sharif

Questions about this district

Will treatment harm the wooden rawashin or painted heritage plaster?

We apply safe products in internal voids and floor-level gaps only, never on the visible heritage fabric. Products are approved for occupied spaces and leave no stain or residue on historic timber or stone.

The school is sandwiched between two food souqs, is continuous treatment necessary?

The souqs create steady pest pressure, but the school's envelope protects against most intrusion. We focus on entry points, yard gaps, service doors and floor voids. We cannot treat the souqs themselves, only shield the school from them.

Children play in a narrow yard under market awnings, is treatment safe there?

We treat the yard outside school hours only. Products are approved for child-occupied spaces, dry quickly and are safe after a few hours. The yard must be vacated during application and ventilated afterwards.

Does the service cover the adjoining merchant shops or only the school premises?

We treat the school boundary and interior only. If insects enter through a shared wall gap, we identify and advise where the entry point sits, but we cannot treat the neighbouring shop without a separate contract with its owner.

The yard extends under a merchant's overhang, how do we stop mosquitoes and flies getting in?

We seal any gaps in the school's wall facing the overhang and check for standing water under or near it after rain. Mosquitoes need stagnant water: we ensure yard drainage works and no puddles collect in corners.

The school occupies a historic building, can we treat the upper floors too?

We focus on ground level, the yard, entry doors and food storage areas. Upper floors rarely face heavy pressure if lower entry points are sealed. We check them during the initial walk and treat only if evidence of activity appears there.

How much does schools and nurseries in Al Balad cost?

It is set after the inspection, because the price follows the type of infestation, the size of the space, how far it has spread and the number of visits it needs. Send a photo and a description on WhatsApp and we will give you an estimate before we reach Al Balad.