What is Fumigation?

Fumigation is the process wherein insects are eliminated from a structure with the use of lethal gas. Gas is used because between the exterior and interior of your home lies a no-man's land inaccessible to even the professional termite inspector.
These spaces, however, are not inaccessible to termites and beetles, which feed there, in most cases, undetected. Spot treatments often miss them, giving you a false sense of security and wasting your money. A complete treatment with a fumigant reaches into every corner of the structure including inaccessible areas, and kills every termite, even those that were never located.

The Process Prior to inducing the fumigant, the structure is completely sealed. This serves to contain the fumigant in the building so it can penetrate wood members thoroughly and eliminate the pests. Depending on the construction of the building, the doors and windows may be sealed with tape and a plastic sheet, or more commonly, the structure may be covered with tarpaulins, commonly known as 'tarp's. The building will remain sealed for12-72 hours depending on the specifics of the individual job. Warning signs are posted around the building notifying people that the property is being fumigated and to keep out. After the tarp or tape is removed, a professional fumigator will aerate the structure by opening the doors and windows.

Fans may also be used to clear out the building. Once the dwelling has been thoroughly aerated, the fumigator is required to measure the level of any fumigant remaining in the living space to ensure it is below the EPA approved concentration for re-entry by the occupants. Extremely low levels of fumigant can remain for a short period of time in dead air spaces. This can occur between walls and inside cabinets, as walls are made up of porous materials just as is furniture. The small amount of fumigant in these areas will continue to dissipate for a few hours after the fumigation has been completed, but at levels well below the established safe re-entry concentration.

Your property/building will not be cleared for re-occupancy until it is safe to enter. How do we know it is safe to return? The fumigator will post a notice on your building indicating the day and time for safe re-entry. Structures can be occupied only when the concentration of fumigant is 3 parts per million or less (this represents a considerable margin of safety. Laboratory animals have been exposed to 100 parts per million for 2 weeks with no adverse affects). Because fumigants are a true gas, and not a vapor, aeration is rapid. Recent studies have demonstrated that, in most structures, remaining fumigant levels are less than 1 part per million within 6 hours of tarp removal; and usually have no detectable levels of fumigant within 24 hours after the start of aeration. Also, fumigants leave no residue. This is the answer to the question.