Proudly serving the Bay Area since 1989
Termite Fumigation Process
What is the fumigation process?
The fumigation process usually takes a portion of three days and two nights. Your professional fumigator seals your home with tarps or other methods and releases a warning agent into the home. Vikane is then introduced into the structure. Your professional fumigator will carefully calculate the amount of Vikane needed, based on a variety of factors including the target pest, temperature, and size of the home.
The typical house fumigation involves approximately 18-24 hours of exposure. After the fumigation is complete, your fumigator aerates the fumigant from the structure following label instructions, and tests the air with sensitive gas monitoring equipment to confirm that it is safe to re-enter the building.
What is fumigation?
Fumigation is a procedure using canvas tarps to cover and seal a structure allowing a fumigant to penetrate the wood timbers eliminating termites.
The following is a general guideline and timeline for a typical fumigation:
Fumigation Day 1 – (Up)
- A fumigation crew covers the entire structure with large tarps. The tarps are secured with long “sand snakes” placed along the foundation of the structure and related attachments.
- A licensed fumigator prepares the interior by ensuring the removal of food, feed, drugs, plants, people and pets. The fumigator is also responsible for placement of fans, opening of doors and drawers and placement of warning agent (chloropicrin) in specific locations.
- The structure is secured with secondary locks on all entryways and warning signs are posted at specific locations.
- Once the exterior has been properly sealed and the interior prepared, the warning agent is applied and the proper dosage of Vikane® Gas Fumigant is introduced into the structure. The fumigant is contained in the structure for a predetermined amount of time, penetrating deep into wood to eliminate Drywood Termites.
Fumigation Day 2 – (Aeration)
- After the proper exposure to Vikane® Gas Fumigant has been administered, one of our licensed fumigators will open a pre-installed inlet/outlet ventilation system to begin the aeration process.
Fumigation Day 3 – (Down/Re-Entry)
- Once the proper amount of aeration time has elapsed, the fumigation crew will remove the tarps from the structure.
- Once the tarps are removed from the structure, one of our licensed fumigators takes air samples from the interior living spaces with equipment specifically designed to detect the presence of Vikane® Gas Fumigant.
- Once it is determined that it safe to return to the structure, the licensed fumigator will place a Re-Entry Notice on the front door. This notice will indicate the date and time that it was certified safe to re-enter.
- The secondary locks and warning signs are removed to complete the fumigation.
Fumigation Schedule Chart |
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| The NORMAL schedule is as follows: | |||
| Monday | (up) | Wednesday | by 5pm (re-enter) |
| Tuesday | (up) | Thursday | by 5pm (re-enter) |
| Wednesday | (up) | Friday | by 5pm (re-enter) |
| Thursday | (up) | Saturday | by 5pm (re-enter) |
| Friday | (up) | Monday | by 5pm (re-enter) |
| Note : This schedule chart is a guide only and schedules may vary. | |||