Homeowners who have decided to have their house fumigated need to prepare the building for the procedure to make sure that the fumigant kills the bugs but leaves everything else intact and free from contamination.
To protect your home's contents from contamination, the fumigation company will provide you with Nylofume bags.
These bags, made from strong nylon polymers, will protect your food and that of your pets, your medications, and other things you eat, drink, or inhale-such as beverages and tobacco.
One: Double Bag Opened Items With Nylofume Bags If you've opened a container, even if the jar lid is screwed on tightly, it needs to be double bagged with Nylofume bags.
Food that has been opened needs to be double bagged using the Nylofume bag.
Even unopened containers with pop-top lids, such as plastic or cardboard containers for candy or cocoa, need to be protected with these bags to keep it safe.
Any pet food or tobacco products should be protected with Nylofume bags as well.
Food stored in unopened, sealed glass jars, cans, or plastic containers do not need protection.
Unopened bottles of wine, too, fit into this category.
Opened bottles of alcoholic drinks, of course, should be double bagged.
You will not, however, need to store your toiletries in the protective bags.
Two: Get Your Other Belongings Ready For Bedrooms: Remove all mattress covers.
This is crucial, since the fumigant must penetrate the material in the bed itself.
Remove duvet covers, pillows, comforters, or any other places in whose folds bed bugs may lurk.
For the Kitchen: Open all of your drawers, cupboards, and cabinets.
The fumigant gas needs to flow freely to do its job.
For the Bathroom: Open your medicine cabinet, vanity drawers, as well as hampers and other storage pieces.
Leave your shower curtain or stall open.
For Your House Plants and Pets: Pets are the most difficult, but most important item on your list.
No matter whether your pets are furry, finny, or scaly, you must remove them.
Fish are particularly a challenge, for you must take the whole aquarium out of the house.
If you cannot see any possible way to move your aquarium, consult with your pest removal professional.
They will be able to provide you with a solution so your pets can be protected.
Remove all of your house plants.
For Your HVAC System: Pilot lights must be shut completely off.
Hot water heaters, gas stoves, gas heaters, propane appliances-all must be turned off.
Turn off the gas at its source.
Your HVAC professional can help ensure your safety while you ready your home for the fumigation.
For Your Yard: Trim all of the bushes around the home.
There will be a large tent that will cover your house.
The tent needs to fit over the shrubbery so that the fumigant can be effective.
Make sure that all of your outdoor plants are watered well the day before you have your home fumigated.
For Your Vehicles: Make sure that you hand over the keys to the pest control specialists before you leave.
Just before the process begins, they will open your vehicles' windows and trunk in case your vehicles have been infested with pests.
Leaving Your Home: Don't forget to give your fumigation company complete access to all areas of your house.
This includes safes and vaults.
The fumigation technicians will walk through your home to ensure that you have taken all of the steps to protect your consumables from harm, yet have exposed every area that needs to be fumigated.
They will correct anything you have forgotten.
They will lock your doors, yet leave your windows open while the fumigant is circulating through your home.
They may need to open your doors to allow the gas to better circulate through your house.
Returning to Your Home Fumigant gas doesn't leave any residue.
Once the all-clear notice is posted by your fumigation company, you can sleep on your beds, use your countertops, and breathe in deeply.
Although preparing for the fumigation process is not hard, you will need to pay attention to these details.
If you are not sure about some of those details, do not hesitate to ask your fumigation professionals.
They will be happy to help you prepare for the process.