The pests are eradicated with the use of pesticides in gas form. Methyl bromide used to be the most widely used pesticide in tenting but has since been restricted because of its environmental damage. Nowadays there are several fumigants that can be used including formaldehyde, methyl isocyanate and hydrogen cyanide.

The structure is either sealed with plastic, tape or other materials or the entire structure is tented with the use of nylon tarps. See pic above. The length of fumigation or tenting can vary from a couple hours to a week; depending on the pest problem and the size of the structure.

It’s important to remember that the pesticides used to kill the termites can also kill or poison other living things. All people, pets (fish included), plants, etc… are to be removed. Also, it’s a good idea to remove or completely seal anything that will eventually be ingested (pills too!).

Proper precautions are taken when it comes to fumigation. For instance, the re-entry date, time and other information will posted on the house when the structure is safe to re-enter. But, if headaches, nausea or any other symptoms appear after re-entering the structure, leave immediately and contact a doctor or poison control.

For more in depth information about fumigation, view California’s Structural Pest Control Board’s FAQ about fumigation.

Fumigation is an aggressive method of pest control but it’s not flawless. Since the pesticide used is in gas form, there is no poison left behind so the termites or other pests can return. Also, the deadly dosage of pesticide for one pest may not be enough to kill another pest. But if fumigation is performed correctly, the target pest should be eradicated.

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It’s important to remember maintenance. The pests are gone after the initial treatment but since insects and other pests are constantly breeding, they can come back. So just because the pests are gone right now doesn’t mean they wont return which is why controlling pests is a never ending job, especially in pest control in Orange County, California.

Did you know?

• Worker termites live between two and five years and queen termites can live up to 25 years
• It takes three to four months for an egg of a cockroach to develop into an adult cockroach
• For two to five years, a queen bee lays several thousand eggs a day
• Male black widow spiders are sometimes killed by the female black widow after they mate

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Different wood-destroying insects prefer different types of wood. For instance, termites generally like soft wood that is found in the structure of the building but round-headed borers like both soft and hard wood less than 10 years old. LivingWithBugs.com has a really informative chart about wood destroying insects (pdf). The chart lists the insect, the type of wood it prefers, damage potential and a few other facts.

Wondering what brown wood rot is? Brown wood rot (there is also a white wood rot) is actually a decay fungi that typically grows on wood with a lot of moisture. Both brown and white wood rot is sometimes mistaken for termite damage but can be disproved once it is determined there aren’t any tunnels or sawdust.

So when a termite inspection is preformed, termites are just one of the pests being inspected for. And termites aren’t the only insect that can destroy your home, porch or deck.

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