Preparing for Fumigation in Orange County, Part II

In ‘Preparing for Fumigation in Orange County, Part I’, we discussed a bit about the dangers of fumigation and the basic pre-prep you need to perform in order to get ready for your choice of termite control Orange County businesses. Next, we’ll talk about the actual preparations to the inside and outside of your home that you should accomplish in the hour or two before the crew arrives.

Exterior

• Trim plants back a foot from your home, and move all items at least five feet away from your outer wall. This is necessary for the tent to be properly secured around your home.
• Unlock all gates and doors on all buildings on your property. Fumigators are legally obligated to make certain that no one is in any structure on the property, even if they’re only fumigating the main structure.
• Water the ground around your home. The water acts as an impermeable barrier to keep the fumigant from escaping the tent by moving through loose topsoil.

Interior

• Use the Nylofume bags provided by your fumigators to protect anything and everything that you might one day consume — food, medications, drinks (even if they’re in sealed bottles), and so on. Metal cans don’t need to be bagged, but bagged food like cereals, boxed food like macaroni and cheese, and even plastic-wrapped food like Cup O Noodles do need to be bagged. Also include anything you will one day smear all over your body like shampoo, sunscreen, and makeup.
• Lock your valuables in your safe or take them with you. It’s sad to say, but there are occasional thefts associated with fumigation.
• Take all of the ice out of your ice maker and turn it off.
• Remove plastic mattress covers and furniture covers — they’re great at trapping Vikane and releasing it later, which can be harmful.
• Remove all pets and plants from your home.

Congratulations, you’re ready to be safely fumigated. Stay somewhere comfortable for the next 48-72 hours and be ready to return home to a place free of destructive, disgusting little bugs.