The home is not just a physical structure or major investment – it’s a place where you and your family created countless memories. But a home can be rapidly damaged by termites, if an infestation gets out of control and spreads through many areas of the home. This is where termite tenting comes in.
Species targeted by fumigation
There are only two termite species that need to be targeted by fumigation – the drywood and the dampwood termite species. Subterranean termites build their colonies underground, and the control methods used against aim to either cut off their contact to the home, or they will bait the termites out of the colony with poisoned cellulose. However, since dampwood and drywood termites build their colonies inside of wood, they need to be targeted through different methods.
One of these methods is the direct application of insecticides. When a colony is small, it can be pinpointed and then the infested wood is treated with insecticides directly. If the infestation is too large though, then some pieces of infested wood will be unreachable and fumigation will be needed to clear out the building.
The fumigation process is fairly complicated, and the home will have to be vacated while it’s going on. To start, the building will be covered by a large tent in its entirety, and then gaseous insecticides will be released inside the home. After a few days, all the insects in the home, including termites will be eliminated, and once the gasses are cleared out, the home will be inhabitable again.
Safety
The fumigation procedure is very safe. A pest control pro will guide you through the preparation and cleanup processes to ensure that everything goes smoothly. For preparation, you will mostly have to clear out your clothes, food and medicine from the home, and then go to a friend, family or hotel for a few days. After the fumigation is complete, you will either have to just air out the home, or do some light cleaning afterwards, depending on the insecticide used. Fumigation does not provide long term protection against reinfestation, but it will clear all the insect infestations out of the home.
For more information about fumigation, or if you have a termite infestation in your home, contact us today.
