If you have an upcoming commercial fumigation in your building, some preparation steps will help to make it a more successful event. Preparing the inside and the building itself properly is important for the correct dispersion of the fumigation contents as well as the preservation of your property.
Communicate the upcoming fumigation with all employees and or tenants of the building. Hold an informational meeting to inform them of the preparation procedure and all information regarding the fumigation. If possible, have the fumigation professional present to answer any questions or concerns that anyone may have.
Food, drugs, animal feed, tobacco products, and medicinals can be left in the building but must be evaluated as to whether they need special packaging for the fumigation process.
The following common items should always be removed, or bagged for extra protection:
- Any items that are packaged in plastic, paper, or cardboard bags or boxes.
- Anything packaged in foil like drinks, sauces, or snacks.
- Anything in plastic re-sealable containers.
- Any forms of produce.
If they aren't part of the above list of items, the next question is are the items ‘sealed’? If they are sealed in their glass, plastic, or metal bottles, jars, or cans with the manufacturer's original seal still intact, then they may not need extra protection. If there are any items in question, it is something you certainly want to ask your fumigation specialist about.
The next step is to prepare the remainder of the building's interior and exterior:
- Give keys to all locked areas, vehicles stored in the building, cabinets, and safes to the fumigator or facilities manager. These areas may need treatment or access.
- Have the fumigation specialist check perishables to be sure all that required extra protection has it, and that the protection is adequate.
- Open all drawers and doors to cabinets, closets, appliances, and cubbies for ease of application.
- Remove all animals and plants from the building.
- Remove or open up and vent all waterproof covers on sofas, chairs, pillows, and office furniture to avoid gas being trapped.
- Open all window treatments, blinds, curtains, and shades, to give the technicians easy access to the windows.
Professional fumigation is a thorough way to rid your building of dangerous and hard-to-exterminate pests. Thorough and correct preparation will help ensure a successful treatment. Communication with your employees, or tenants, and with the fumigation specialist is the most important step in preparation for commercial fumigation.
Here at Action Pest Control, we offer a wide array of fumigation services including:
- Commodities rice, corn tobacco, etc.
- Warehouses and transportation containers of several types
- Flour mills
- Museum and antique shops
- Pharmaceutical manufacturers
- Seed and feed processing
- Grain storage
Our trained fumigation professionals have safely and successfully fumigated many businesses. Call us today to discuss your commercial pest control needs and to see if fumigation is right for your facility.