Your fumigation service provider will give you specific instructions on preparing for the fumigation. Some of these require moving food and items off-site and finding a place for you, your family, and pets to stay for a few days. So all residents will need to begin to prepare for the fumigation service well in advance of the day.
The following are some of the general recommendations and instructions you should be prepared to undertake:
Unlock and open all rooms, cabinets, desks, closets, attic hatches and safes.
Remove all food from refrigerators, freezers, pantries and storage closets and move it off-site.
Raise all blinds and drapes to allow window access.
Turn off all gas flames and pilot lights in fireplaces and for appliances such as water heaters, ovens, furnaces, refrigerators, washers, and dryers.
Remove all pets including aquarium fish and caged or non-caged animals.
Remove all houseplants.
Trim outdoor plants, so that they are no closer than 18 inches (one and a half feet) away from the structure's exterior.
Rake any rock, gravel, bark or landscape mulch, so that it is no closer than 12 inches (one foot) away from the structure's exterior.
Detach any fences that contact the structure.
Provide a garden hose for use by the applicator. This will be needed to wet the soil around the structure to ensure soil penetration of the fumigant.
Provide the fumigation service provider with a set of keys for the exterior door (and gate and/or garage if applicable). This not only enables entry for any work the provider needs to do if the residents are not home, but it also will enable the structure to be secured once the tent has been removed. A secondary lock will also be used in accordance with Texas law.
Have your bags packed, the family and pets readied, and a place for all to stay for an estimated two to three days/nights.
Timeframe of a Tent Fumigation
You will need to make plans to stay out of and away from the home during the fumigation and during the aeration period that follows. Although your preparation will likely require two to three hours, the fumigation and aeration periods will mean two to three days and nights away from your home.
Your pest control professional will advise you of the amount of time needed for your particular fumigation and any other precautions and actions you will need to take.
What You Will Need to Complete Preparations
In order to complete the steps listed above, there are some items you will need. These should be gathered well in advance of the fumigation day so that you are not held up in the middle of your preparations because you are unable to complete a step.
Plastic dishes with lids to store foods
Plastic bins and totes for linens and non-perishables
Plastic covers or sheets to protect mattresses and children's furniture
Flashlight
Hammer and Pliers
Garden shears and a rake
Garden hose with outdoor bib or hookup
Keys to all locked household areas/items
Lodging for at least 2 days for the family and any pets
Preparing for a tent fumigation can be inconvenient, but the method can be the best way to ensure the invasive pest are eradicated.
