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.
