Termite infestation is a homeowner's nightmare.
Whether it is ants, mice, fleas, or roaches, these pests wreck havoc in our houses, messing with our daily routines.
They carry viruses and bacteria that lead to communicable diseases.
They get into our stored food grains, and nibble away at our furniture.
Fumigating your house to get rid of these unwanted guests is absolutely necessary.
Here are a few dos and don'ts to help prepare your house for fumigation.
DO: Read the information on the can of pesticide carefully.
If you're planning to fumigate the house yourself, make sure you know exactly what you're getting into.
Read the instructions thoroughly before you begin.
The instructions are there for your safety and protection.
Follow the instructions to the dot.
Now that you've read the instructions thoroughly, and have familiarized yourself with the mechanics of the procedure, make sure you follow the instructions to the dot.
You are essentially releasing pressurized poison into the air.
You need to do this carefully and safely.
Following the given instructions will ensure proper (and safe) fumigation of your house.
Clean your home thoroughly before and after fumigating it.
It is important that you clean your house before and after the fumigation process.
Cleaning before fumigating will ensure that the poison washes over every surface of the house, effectively killing all pests.
Make sure you throw away all garbage and find the root of the source of the infestation, as this can help avoid recontamination.
Clean your house thoroughly after fumigating it to get rid of dead pests and the poisonous aerosol deposits.
Cover all electronic devices.
A precaution that you absolutely must take is to cover all electronic devices in the house.
This includes your television, refrigerator, microwave, DVD player, and computer.
The poison used during fumigation will damage all electronics that are exposed to the aerosol.
DON'T: Come home earlier than you ought to.
After you have fumigated your house, you will be required to stay away from it for a certain duration of time.
Make sure you don't come home earlier than you ought to, as you might be exposed to the harmful poison.
While the process of fumigating takes a short time, the poison requires a few hours to settle and do its job.
I suggest you stay away from your house for at least 5 hours after fumigating it.
Use chemicals near a flame or an inflammable substance.
Ensure that your stove and water heaters are turned off before you begin fumigating.
The chemical poison is highly pressurized, and can explode if exposed to an open flame.
Make sure you keep the windows and vents open so as to sufficiently ventilate your house.
Leave your pets indoors.
Make sure your pets are away from the house, and are safe from being exposed to the poisonous chemicals.
This can adversely affect them, and can even lead to death by poisoning.
Make sure their food bowls are covered and kept away from the chemicals as well.
Neglect your plants.
Make sure you take your houseplants and put them outside before fumigating your house.
The chemicals in the poison will leave a thin film on the leaves of the plants, which can fester into something more dangerous.