Most insect problems in a Herolds Bay house don't need gas fumigation at all. A normal spray and bait treatment deals with ants, cockroaches and fishmoths, and you can stay in the house while it's done. Fumigation is for insects living inside something: wood borer in a cupboard or a wooden ceiling, beetles in stored goods, or an infestation spread through a room full of boxes. In those cases, the area is sealed, gassed with a registered fumigant and kept empty of people and animals until we've cleared it.
Signs that point to fumigation
- Small round holes in wood, with a fine powder underneath that keeps reappearing after you've swept it up. That's wood borer, and the larvae are inside the timber where no spray can reach.
- Beetles or larvae inside packaging, such as a storeroom of bagged goods, a box of old books, or a cupboard of linen that's been sealed away for months.
- An infestation that keeps returning after surface treatments, because the insects are breeding somewhere you can't get to.
If what you're seeing is ants on the counter or cockroaches in the kitchen, have a look at our insect control in Herolds Bay instead. It's quicker, it's cheaper, and no one has to move out.
Why Herolds Bay homes end up with these problems
Many houses in the village are holiday homes that have been in the family for years, and old furniture tends to end up at the coast. Wooden chests, wardrobes, cane chairs and timber ceilings in a humid seaside house can carry wood borer for a long time before anyone notices the holes. Add a garage or storeroom full of boxes that hasn't been opened since last December, and it's easy for beetles and moths to build up undisturbed.
What happens on the day
Before we start
We look at what's infested and decide on the smallest area that will do the job. Sometimes that's a whole room or storeroom. Sometimes we can move the affected furniture or goods together and cover them with gas-proof sheeting, which keeps the rest of the house usable once the sealed area is secure. We'll explain the plan and the exposure time before anything is sealed.
Sealing and treatment
Doors, windows, vents and gaps are taped and sealed, or the stack is sheeted down. We then apply a registered fumigant such as phosphine. The gas works its way into the timber, packaging and gaps, killing eggs, larvae and adults. The area stays sealed for the time the product label requires, which is usually a few days.
Clearing
Once the exposure time is up, we ventilate the space and test it before anyone goes back in. Nobody, including pets, enters a sealed area before it has been cleared. Fumigants are dangerous to people and animals, which is why this is only ever done by trained, registered operators.
The quiet season is the best time
Here's where a holiday village works in your favour. Because the house has to be vacated around the sealed area, it's far easier to fumigate between visits than to work around a family on holiday. Book it for a month when nobody is using the house, and we can seal, treat and clear it without disturbing anyone's plans. Just let us know who will be giving us access.
Stopping it coming back
Fumigation kills what's there but doesn't protect anything new you bring in. Check second-hand furniture for small holes and powder before it goes into the house. Store linen and paper in sealed plastic boxes rather than cardboard, which holds damp and attracts insects. Open the house up and let air move through it when you can, because steady humidity is what wood borer and fishmoths like best.
A common misunderstanding
Plenty of people think a fogger or a "bug bomb" from the shop is a home fumigation. It isn't. Those products put an insecticide mist into the air that settles on surfaces. They don't penetrate timber or packaging, so the larvae inside your wardrobe are untouched.
How much will it cost?
The price depends on how big the area is, how well it can be sealed and what's being treated. Sheeting over a couple of pieces of furniture is a much smaller job than sealing a whole storeroom or several rooms. There's also the question of whether gas is needed at all, and we'll be straight with you if a normal treatment will do. Once we've seen it, we'll give you a free quote including the exposure time.
We're SAPCA registered and have more than 25 years in the Garden Route. For a closer look at the process, see fumigation in George. To talk through your Herolds Bay job, call us on 044 012 5011.
Questions we get asked
How long do we have to stay out of the house?
Only the sealed area has to be empty, and it stays that way until we have ventilated it and cleared it. Depending on the product and the job, that's usually a few days, and we'll give you the exact time before we start.
Can I fumigate one piece of furniture?
Yes. Infested pieces can often be grouped together and covered with gas-proof sheeting, so we don't have to seal the whole house.
Is wood borer worth treating in old furniture?
Usually, yes. Active borer keeps eating the wood and can spread to other timber in the house. If you see fresh powder under the holes, the larvae are still active.
Does fumigation leave a residue on my things?
Phosphine is a gas that airs out once the space is ventilated. It doesn't leave a protective residue, so it won't stop new insects arriving later.
Can someone else let you in if we're not in Herolds Bay?
Yes. Many owners arrange access through a neighbour or caretaker. We just need someone to open up and to know that the sealed area stays closed until we clear it.
Is a bug bomb the same as fumigation?
No. A shop fogger only mists surfaces. Fumigation uses a registered gas that penetrates timber and packaging, and only registered operators may apply it.