If weevils, beetles or moths have got into stored feed, grain or seed in Dysseldorp, fumigation is the treatment that reaches them. A sealed space is filled with a registered fumigant gas, which kills the insects inside the bags and kernels as well as those you can see, then the space is aired and cleared. It's a professional job, done properly or not at all.
How to tell your stored product is infested
- Small dark beetles crawling on bags or around the base of a stack.
- Grain kernels with neat little holes, or that feel light and hollow.
- Fine dust or powder collecting under bags or in the bottom of a bin.
- Silky webbing and clumped meal, often with small caterpillars inside.
- Small, pale moths flying up when you move a bag or open the store.
- Feed that smells musty or that animals are reluctant to eat.
One of those on its own may be a single bad bag you can throw out. Several, spread through a store, means the insects are established.
Why Dysseldorp stores are at risk
Dysseldorp is a farming community in the dry, hot country east of Oudtshoorn. Feed, grain and seed are often kept for months in sheds, outbuildings and storerooms that get very hot in summer. Heat speeds up the life cycle of stored product insects, so each generation comes round faster and numbers climb quickly. Outbuildings also tend to have gaps under doors and around roofs, which lets moths and beetles drift in from neighbouring stores.
Safety first: why everyone has to leave
We'll say this before anything else, because it matters most. Fumigant gas is toxic to people and animals. The area being fumigated is sealed and must be completely vacated, by people, pets and livestock, until we've ventilated it and confirmed it's clear. If the store shares a wall or roof space with a house, a stable or an office, we look at that during the assessment and tell you what needs to be cleared too. Nobody goes back in until we say so.
Our fumigation, step by step
- Site visit. We look at what's infested, how much of it there is and how well the building can be sealed. Sometimes the whole store is fumigated; sometimes it makes more sense to tarp a single stack with gas-proof sheeting.
- Sealing. Doors, windows, vents and gaps are sealed, or the stack is covered and the sheeting sealed to the floor.
- Fumigant applied. We use a registered fumigant such as phosphine, at the rate the label requires for the volume being treated.
- Exposure time. The space stays sealed for the full time on the label, usually a few days, so that eggs, larvae, pupae and adults are all killed.
- Ventilation and clearance. We open up, air the space and check it's safe before handing it back to you.
Keeping the store clean between seasons
Fumigation kills what's there on the day. It doesn't stop the next infestation, so what you do afterwards counts. Before new stock goes in, sweep out the store completely, including spilled grain in corners and under pallets, because that's where the next generation starts. Keep bags on pallets off the floor and away from the walls so you can see and sweep behind them. In the heat of a Karoo summer, check the store every week or two rather than once a season.
The mistake that undoes good work
Topping up old stock with new. When fresh feed or grain is stacked onto or next to last season's bags, any insects in the old stock move straight across. Use up or remove old stock first, clean the space, then bring in the new. First in, first out is boring advice, but it saves more feed than any treatment.
How much will it cost?
Fumigation is priced mainly on the volume being treated and how easily it can be sealed. A single tarped stack is a much smaller job than a full storeroom, and a store with lots of gaps takes more preparation. Travel out from George is part of it as well, so if you have more than one store that needs doing, it's worth doing them on the same visit. We'll come out, look, and give you a free quote that includes the exposure time and what you need to do on the day.
If only one or two bags are infested and the rest of the store is clean, removing and destroying those bags and cleaning the area may be all you need. We'll tell you if that's the case.
Scorpions, ants or other insects around the house rather than in the feed? That's a job for insect control in Dysseldorp. For larger stores in the nearby town, see fumigation in Oudtshoorn.
We're SAPCA registered and have more than 25 years in the Garden Route and Klein Karoo. Call 044 012 5011 to arrange a site visit.
Questions we get asked
Can my animals stay in the shed next to the store?
Not if it shares an air space or has gaps into the fumigated area. We check this during the visit and tell you exactly which buildings must be cleared of people and animals.
Is the feed safe for livestock after fumigation?
Yes, once the label's exposure and airing times have been followed. Registered fumigants such as phosphine are approved for stored commodities and air out after treatment.
Can I fumigate the store myself with tablets from the co-op?
No. Fumigants are dangerous and are applied by trained, registered operators. Getting the sealing, dose or clearing wrong can harm people and animals.
How often should a farm store be fumigated?
Only when there's an infestation. Good store hygiene and regular checks are what keep it from happening; routine fumigation of a clean store isn't needed.
Will fumigation affect seed germination?
Phosphine is commonly used on stored seed when label instructions are followed. If you're storing seed for planting, tell us at the assessment so we can confirm the right approach.