Whether its cockroaches, mice or bugs, pest infestation can be troublesome. They gnaw your food and furniture, leave droppings all over the place and the musty pest odor can make your home smell really bad.
Before these creepy crawlies take over your home and become a nightmare, it is best to get your home fumigated. Each year thousands of homes in the US are fumigated for pest control.
If you are opting for home fumigation for the first time, then here are some great preparatory tips for you. It is important to understand that fumigation is a dangerous process as it involves strong chemical treatments. As these chemicals are toxic in nature, these can cause you unimaginable damage. The particles of chemical sprayed during the process can penetrate your clothes, mattress, food and water and can contaminate them.
Therefore before you set forward for home fumigation, you must take safety precautions and relevant steps to ensure you achieve the best results from this service.
Tips to Prepare for Home Fumigation
So, let’s get started! Here are some great safety and preparation tips for home fumigation:
Seal All Food, Medicine and Personal Hygiene items
- First things first, gather and seal all food items properly so that they don’t get contaminated during the fumigation process. Put them in at least 2 zip lock nylo-fume bags. Nylo-fume bags are made of nylon polymer that protects food items during fumigation.
- Follow the same procedure to pack and seal all your personal hygiene items like mouthwash, lotions, makeup, toothpaste, tissues.
- Also pack and seal liquor bottles and wine in nylo-fume bags but this is only needed if the original seal is unbroken.
- As for medicines, keep your pills and medicine bottles in a glass container. Then lock it tightly and place the container in a nylo-fume bag.
Interior Preparation
- Remove all waterproof covers that envelope your pillows and mattresses.
- Open all cabinets, vaults, drawers and cupboards in your home. This allows the air to circulate properly through your furniture once the chemicals have subsided.
- Empty your cupboards and remove all the clothing.
- Empty your refrigerator and freezers and shut off the power supply.
- Make sure you unplug and turn off all your heat sources such as pilot lights, gas stoves and water heaters.
- Turn off the main gas valve that leads into your home. This is a home safety precautionary measure because some fumigants are inflammable. If precaution is not taken, it can damage your property.
- Remove all your eating utensils and appliances from the kitchen and pack them properly in a plastic bag. This is important as these items can absorb chemicals during the fumigation process.
Exterior Preparation
When it comes to preparing your home for fumigation, exterior/ outdoor preparation is equally important. For this,
- You must cut back tree branches, foliage or shrubbery at least 12 inches from the perimeter of your home. This is necessary because the fumigator will place a tent around your home during fumigation to minimize the chemical gas escape. By cutting the plants 12 inches from the perimeter of your home, the fumigator will not have problem fixing the tent. This will save time and enable the process to be executed fast.
- You may also have to remove awnings, fences or trellises if they may interfere with the tenting.
- After fumigation, you will have to wait around 48 hours to go back into your home. Therefore it is advisable to water your outdoor plants properly prior to the process to protect their roots and keep them hydrated.
Don’t Forget To Remove All Living Things from Your Premises
Before you hand over your house keys to the fumigator, be sure to remove all living things in your home. This includes indoor plants, fish and pets.
Reusing the Fumigated Area
Once your home is fumigated its best to go back and start living inside it after a couple of days. However, when you go back, make sure you your house is aired out properly.
This will help remove airborne residues from fumigation. The best way to do this is to open windows and doors and let the air out. Remember over-exposure to fumigation gases can lead to breathing problems and headaches.
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