Precautions After Termite Treatment & Safety Considerations

Are termite chemicals dangerous? Here are some safety precautions to take after termite treatment.

Termites are among the most difficult and destructive pests to have. These can cause unbelievable havoc on property within a short period of time, especially when dealing with a large colony.

The primary goal is to have these pests dislodged or exterminated for most people.

However, that is only one aspect of the solution, as you also need to consider the risks involved.

Termite Treatment Safety

The risks in this sense refer to the health implications you might be exposed to during treatments. Of course, it’s best for experienced pest technicians to handle all forms of extermination.

While that is true, you want to ensure that all basic safety guidelines are adhered to. Most fumigation practices involve using toxic chemicals and gases that penetrate deep into termite colonies.

When not properly applied, people are exposed to significant levels of risks.

How Safe Are Termite Treatments?

When it comes to termite treatments, safety is paramount. Hiring a professional pest technician for such a job is highly important as anything less than that exposes you to significant risks.

The chemicals or pesticides used are harmful to humans and pets and can even be fatal when exposed to significant amounts of these pesticides.

However, every pesticide comes with clear instructions on safely applying them.

Even basic over-the-counter insecticides have clear directions for use. Doing anything contrary to the instructions given by the manufacturer will expose you to harm.

In following the guidelines, you’ll need to put on the right kind of personal protective equipment. These safety guidelines are law and must be used to keep you safe.

First off, the treatment area is cordoned off and tented. The material used for the tent helps trap in the gaseous release, thus concentrating it enough to kill termites.

Basic personal protective equipment includes respirators, safety goggles, ear muffs, gloves, boots, and helmets. The goal is to keep yourself safe from exposure to harmful pesticides.

With these in place, you’re ready to proceed with treatment.

Three Stages of Termite Treatment & Safety Issues

To better understand the safety protocols involved in termite control, you’ll have to understand the different stages of treatment.

First, there’s the preparatory stage, fumigation proper, and re-entry. Understanding what each of these steps entails is crucial. Let’s have a look at what they’re about.

• Preparatory Stage

As the name implies, the preparatory stage involves putting necessary measures to make the process a success. More importantly, the safety of your household members and those of the technicians involved is vital.

Here, the house needs to be evacuated.

Everyone, including pets and plants, must be removed from the vicinity. Now, you might wonder for how long before the area is safe to re-enter. It’s important to stick to instructions given by the professional.

As part of the preparation, ensure that all food and medicine is removed from the vicinity.

You could have such sealed in airtight plastic bags or containers. When a fumigation tent is to be installed, there are likely obstructions. Such obstructions may arise from TV antennas, fences, or trees.

Items that you can be move will have to be temporarily removed until fumigation is completed.

At this stage, the area is ready for fumigation to begin. Pest technicians set up their fumigation equipment and safety gear before starting.

• Fumigation

The fumigation gas is released with your property entirely sealed by the tent.

The reason for tenting the house is two-fold. First, it concentrates the gas within the treatment area to ensure its desired effect on termites.

Secondly, tenting protects people from exposure to dangerous fumigation gases. With the help of fans, the fumigation gases are distributed to all parts of the structure to kill these termites.

As long as every person, including animals, has been evacuated from the building, there should be nothing to worry about.

Even after pumping the fumigation gas, the area is unsafe for entry until otherwise stated. Here, warning signs are clearly displayed at different home parts to warn visitors of potential danger.

Visitors are to stay away for as long as such warning signs remain.

Fumigation may last anywhere from a few hours to a day or two. During this time, you’ll have to make alternative living preparations. You may take your family to a motel for the duration of treatment or visit a friend or family.

The preparatory actions you take are entirely up to you.

• Safety, Safety, Safety…

After clocking the number of hours desired, termites are assumed to be dead at this point.

So, preparations begin in earnest for re-entry. Part of the preparations includes clearing out the gases by systematically dismantling the tent and providing ventilation.

To make the process faster and more efficient, fans are used to clear out the chemicals from the area. There’s no need to be in a hurry to get back into your home.

Sometimes, Proper aeration may last about 12 hours or more, depending on the type of fumigation.

Remember, safety comes first before anything else. It’s important to keep to instructions given by the technician. Only go in when it’s deemed safe for entry.

To ensure that safety guidelines are adhered to, professional pest control services have their personnel inspect the aeration process.

With certified fumigators deeming the area safe, you can then move into your termite-free home. To enhance safety, consider discussing what else to do with fumigators after moving in.

There’s no harm in asking; plus, you get to take maximum advantage of the situation.

Environmentally Friendly Techniques

Still, you might want to know if there are safer alternatives to termite extermination on safety.

The truth is, such methods may exist but may not be as reliable as fumigants in eliminating these pests. Nevertheless, it’s an option you might want to discuss with your pest technician.

Environmentally friendly techniques may not entirely have zero toxicity.

They may only have lower levels that are more tolerable. You’ll need to speak with a professional about its safety, whatever the case is.

Termite treatment safety has been focused on, with the goal being to identify ways you can enhance your safety and those of your household members. Safety comes before anything else.

So, it’s important to figure out how to best leverage that.