Monday, January 17, 2011

If A Pest Infestation Has Occurred, Pest Fumigation May Be Necessary!

Pest problems can be annoying and dangerous. Whether its ants in your cupboards, or rats in the roof of your house, you may need to call a pest control services company to eliminate the problem. When pests take over business premises such as restaurants or food storage companies, they can be a health hazard. In such cases, pest fumigation may be the only solution.
Cockroaches are common culprits, and they are not fussy about what habitat they encroach upon. Apparently, there is only one type of food that a cockroach will not eat. It's cucumber! Everything else is on the menu. Cockroaches are found in homes and businesses, and they are a real menace. They crawl in, fly in, eat anything and everything they can find and, of course, they breed.
Cockroaches, if left unchecked, can cause health problems to humans. Food poisoning has also been linked to pest infestations, particularly cockroaches. They secrete allergens which can be very dangerous for people who suffer with respiratory problems.
There are however other pests that cause destruction in a home or business premises. These include fleas, bees, wasps, bed bugs, spiders, rodents and termites. If the pest control company cannot solve the problem with chemical sprays, pest fumigation may be recommended.
Pest fumigation is a pest control method that fills an entire building with fumigants that will either poison or suffocate the pests inside. It is often the only way to get rid of termites and wood boring insects that are causing extensive damage to wooden areas in a home or factory.
The building to be fumigated is first completely covered with large tarpaulins or 'tents'. The fumigant is then released inside the building. The building will remain covered for a certain period of time. This allows the fumigant to penetrate all areas and kill the pests.
After this, the building is ventilated so that the poison can disperse. It will then be safe for humans to re-enter the premises. The reason for the tarpaulins is to prevent the fumigant escaping and causing potential harm to neighbouring people / buildings. The pest fumigation process can take up to a week to complete, depending on the level of infestation and the size of the building.
Methyl bromide was the most commonly used fumigant until it was banned because it harms the ozone layer. Present day fumigants include phosphine, chloropicrin, hydrogen cyanide, methyl isocyanate, iodoform, sulfuryl fluoride, and iodoform. A popular choice among many pest control services is sulfuryl fluoride.
Sulfuryl fluoride has the ability to kill pests at any stage of their lives, including eggs. It does not harm the ozone layer and it is not associated with the dangers of phosphine. Sulfuryl fluoride is used widely as a pest fumigant to control dry wood termites that thrive in warm climates. It is also effective for the eradication of bark beetles, powder post beetles, rodents and bed bugs.
Pest fumigation is a dangerous operation. It must be carried out by competent personnel or registered pest control companies that are in possession of the correct certification that allows them to perform pest fumigation operations.

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