Termite Tenting

Everyone has experienced the nuisance that termites cause to homes, at least once. While some people get rid of termites by using some home remedies, some others, like yourself resort to other means. To help you with a solution for the havoc that termites can create, we have below, information about termite tenting, which has proven to be one of the best ways to get rid of termites from your home.

What is Termite Tenting

Termite tenting is a fumigation process in which the house is completely sealed off before the actual pest control takes place. In this process, a poisonous gas, sulfuryl fluoride, is sprayed into every nook and corner of the house, so as to eradicate any signs of termite infestation. The house has to be fully covered with a thick covering material, so that none of the lethal spray permeates and gets through.

Preparing for It

When you see the telltale termite damage signs, the first step that you must take towards the damage repair is call a professional who can handle the termites. Termite tenting cannot be done without experience, because the spray has to be handled with extreme caution. Given below are some of the very important precautions that you must take.

• Get Out: Firstly, the entire process will take approximately two to three days to complete. So you need to make arrangements to live elsewhere, for a couple of days.
• Seal Up: As far as possible, try to empty the house of any perishable food items that may be present in your kitchen. If you cannot carry them out with you, then you need to seal all of them tightly with a cover that the fumigation people may provide you with. If they don't, then get some super strong plastic bags, and seal all the food items properly.
• Cover Up: Along with cracks and corners, you'll definitely have to cover up all your furniture too. All your cupboards, wardrobes, bathroom toiletries, etc. need to be covered properly before you leave the house.
• Pets and Plants: If you have any plants in your home or around your home, you need to keep them in a place that is a little away from the house. Else, they stand a chance of getting poisoned by the spray that is to be used in the house. Also, make sure that any kind of pets that you have, it could be a lizard, a ferret, a hamster or even a fish for that matter, is removed from the house. No living organism (except the termites) should be present in the house during the tenting process.
• Make Space: To get rid of the termites from the furniture in your home, you need to make a lot of space available in and around your home, to let the people carry on their fumigation activity. This includes removing all valuable items from the house and making a defined walkway for them to enter and exit the house.
• Roof Clearing: If you have things like antennae, wind vanes, satellite TV dishes, etc., they need to be taken down because the house will be covered from the outside.
• Extermination: Once the house is empty and the workers have covered it up from the outside, they will enter the house and spray the sulfuryl fluoride in every room of the house. They will place fans in every room of the house, so that the gas can spread and circulate evenly around the whole house. It will penetrate into the walls, beams, cracks and crevices and rid them of the wrecking insects. The house will be left sealed for a couple of days after which the workers will remove the tent covering. Then, they will go into the house and test the air inside using their specialized sensing equipment. Once they are sure that they air is safe to breathe, you can go into the house.

All the above steps must be taken to ensure safety. Though the cost may be slightly high, it is a tried and tested option that always has good results. People may argue about termite tenting dangers like the harmful gas, and possible inhalation, if not properly detected by the sensory equipment, but it is one of the most efficacious method of termite extermination today.