Fumigation is the right call when insects are living inside something you can't spray, like bags of grain, a pallet of feed, a stack of furniture or a sealed storeroom. A fumigant gas gets into every gap, kills every stage of the insect from egg to adult, and then airs out. If the problem is only on surfaces, a normal spray treatment is usually enough, and we'll tell you so.
Why it matters in the Klein Karoo
Oudtshoorn's economy runs on farming: ostriches, lucerne, seed and dried produce. Anywhere feed, grain or seed is stored for months at a time is a target for stored product insects. The long, hot Karoo summers speed up their life cycle, so a small weevil problem in a feed shed in November can be a serious loss by February.
We fumigate:
- Feed and grain stores, silos and storerooms on farms
- Warehouses and packing sheds holding dried fruit, nuts, seed or animal feed
- Shops and businesses with stored product infestations
- Furniture, household goods and rooms where wood-boring beetles or other hidden insects have taken hold
The pests we're usually after
Grain weevils, flour beetles, lesser grain borers and Indian meal moths are the common ones in stored produce. You'll notice tiny holes in grain, webbing in bags, a fine dust at the bottom of a bin, or small moths flying around the storeroom light. In furniture and structural timber it's more often wood borers, which leave neat round exit holes and a little pile of powder.
One thing that isn't a fumigation job: harvester termites in your lawn or veld. They're a common Karoo problem, but they're dealt with by targeted insect control rather than gas.
How a fumigation works
- Assessment. We look at what's infested, how big the space is and how well it can be sealed. That decides whether we fumigate the whole room or store, or tarp off a stack.
- Sealing. Doors, vents and gaps are sealed, or the goods are covered with gas-proof sheeting.
- Fumigation. We apply a registered fumigant such as phosphine. The space stays sealed for the exposure time the label requires, usually a few days for a full kill.
- Clearing. We ventilate and test before anyone goes back in.
Important: a fumigated area must be vacated and kept closed until we've cleared it. Fumigant gases are dangerous to people and animals, so this is done by trained, registered operators only, never as DIY.
Keeping it from coming back
Fumigation kills what's there, but it doesn't stop new infested stock coming in. Check deliveries, rotate stock so old bags don't sit at the back for a year, keep store floors swept and clear of spilled grain, and make sure doors close properly. If you run a commercial store, a regular inspection schedule is cheaper than a lost season.
How much will it cost?
Fumigation is priced on the volume being treated, how easily it can be sealed and how far out we have to travel. A single tarped stack of feed is a very different job from a full storeroom or packing shed. We'll come and look, then give you a free quote with the exposure time and what you'll need to do on the day.
We're SAPCA registered and have worked across the Garden Route and Klein Karoo for more than 25 years. For fumigation on the coast, see fumigation in George. To book an assessment in Oudtshoorn, call 044 012 5011.
Questions we get asked
Do I have to leave during fumigation?
Yes. The fumigated area must be empty of people and animals and kept sealed until we've ventilated and cleared it. We'll tell you exactly how long that will be before we start.
Can fumigated grain or feed still be used?
Phosphine is registered for use on stored commodities and airs out after treatment. Once the exposure and ventilation times on the label have been followed, the produce can be used as normal.
How long does a fumigation take?
The setup takes a few hours, but the space usually needs to stay sealed for a few days to kill every life stage, including eggs.
Will a spray do instead?
For insects on walls, floors and surfaces, yes. For insects inside bags, stacks or timber, no. A spray can't reach them, and that's what fumigation is for.