Fumigation for Bothastrand homes, step by step

If you've been told your Bothastrand home, garage or storeroom needs fumigating, here's what actually happens: we confirm the pest, seal the area, apply a registered fumigant gas, keep everyone out for the required exposure time, then ventilate and clear it before you go back in. That's the whole job in one sentence. The rest of this page fills in the detail, and explains when you can skip fumigation and use something simpler.

Step one: is fumigation really the answer?

Fumigation is a gas treatment, and gas is used for one reason: to reach insects that are hidden inside things. Wood borer larvae inside a cupboard or roof timber. Weevils inside a bag of mealies or birdseed. Moths breeding through boxes of stored goods. A spray sits on the surface; a fumigant goes all the way through.

If you're dealing with ants, cockroaches, fleas or spiders, you don't need fumigation. A normal treatment does the job and you can stay at home. Our page on insect control in Bothastrand covers that.

Step two: the inspection

We'll want to see the damage and, ideally, the insect itself. In seaside homes like those around Bothastrand, we often find borer in older furniture, in wooden items stored in a garage, or in timber that has sat in damp, salty air for years. Stored product insects tend to turn up in pantries, outbuildings and anywhere pet food, birdseed or bulk dry goods are kept.

This visit also tells us how the space can be sealed. A small, solid storeroom is easy. A garage with a gap under the door and an open vent near the roof needs more work.

Step three: preparing the space

Before the day, we'll give you a short list. It usually includes:

• Removing food for people or pets from the area, unless it's the stock being treated
• Taking out pot plants, and making sure no animals are inside, fish tanks and caged birds included
• Moving out sensitive electronics and items with exposed copper, because phosphine can corrode some metals
• Arranging for everyone in the household to stay out of the sealed area for the full period

Step four: sealing and fumigating

We seal doors, windows, vents and gaps, or cover the infested items with gas-proof sheeting if we only need to treat a stack or a few pieces of furniture. A trained, registered operator then applies the fumigant, usually phosphine. Warning notices go up on every entrance.

The sealed area must be vacated and kept closed until we have cleared it. Fumigant gas is dangerous to people and animals. This isn't something to cut short because you need something from the room.

Step five: exposure, ventilation and clearance

The space stays sealed for the exposure time the label requires, which is what kills eggs, larvae and adults alike. After that we open up, ventilate and test that the area is clear. Only then do we hand it back to you.

Living by the sea: a local note

Coastal homes near Bothastrand get a lot of moist, salty air, and over the years it takes a toll on wooden window frames, doors and their seals. Gaps that have opened up let gas escape during a fumigation, and the rest of the time they let insects and rodents in. If we find a room is hard to seal, fixing those gaps afterwards is worth doing for its own sake. It also helps to keep stored timber, old furniture and boxes off a damp garage floor. Dry wood is less attractive to many borers, and boxes on shelves are far easier to inspect.

A common misunderstanding

Many people expect fumigation to protect the house for years. It doesn't. It's a complete kill of what's there on the day, with no lasting barrier. If an infested piece of furniture or a contaminated bag of feed comes in next month, the problem can start again. That's why we always talk about prevention afterwards: check second-hand pieces before they come home, keep dry goods in sealed containers, and buy feed and birdseed in quantities you'll use up.

How much will it cost?

The price depends on how much space needs sealing, how easy it is to seal and what's being treated. Sheeting a single wardrobe is a small job. Sealing a garage or a full room takes more material and time. If you've got a commercial store or an outbuilding that needs treating regularly, a scheduled programme usually works out better than one-off call-outs. We quote free after the inspection, and we'll be upfront if a cheaper, non-fumigation treatment will do.

George Pest Worx has worked in the Garden Route for more than 25 years and is SAPCA registered. We're based in George, not far up the N2, and we also handle fumigation in Groot Brak River and the rest of this stretch of coast. To ask about fumigation in Bothastrand, call 044 012 5011.