Frequently Asked Questions

Unfortunately, since every fumigation job is different, the cost varies. Factors like the pest, the structure, and of course, the size and complexity of your home or business can affect pricind. Inspections are free so reach out to us to come out and assess your situation to provide an accurate cost.

Fumigation house costs vary depending on the pest and the size of the home. Some pests, like rodents, do not require a high rate of materials and therefore would be less expensive. Others like powderpost beetles require a larger amount of materials and therefore can be more expensive for the same house. Inspections are free so reach out to us to come out and assess your house’s situation to provide an accurate cost.

Yes, we can certainly fumigate cars and boats – and RVs, trucks, ambulances, entire fleets, etc.! We can fumigate them all, and we recommend you do. Should a bed bug (known expert hitchhikers) or any other pest make its way on your bag or pant leg into your car from your infested home, it would make its way back, too. That can cause a whole new infestation to take hold. Putting you back at the beginning at your home or business.

Often, the signs you need fumigation are right in front of you, but they do vary from pest to pest. A clear sign of powderpost beetle infestation are their telltale holes they leave in things. Clothes moth signs are easier since it’s the larvae you may see in your winter sweaters, holes in your fabrics, or the flying moths themselves. Bites on your body and reddish stains on mattresses and sheets can mean bed bugs are in your home. And drywood termites leave the unique droppings, called “frass”, that fall out of colony holes in the wood they infest. Each frass pellet has six flattened or concavely depressed sides. These pests in particular are better managed with fumigation treatments than general pest control.

Depending on the pest and the type of house (log cabins vs a mobile home) and the pest we are fumigating for, the time it takes will vary. It can take as little as 12 hours and up to 72 hours to successfully fumigate a house.

The length of time depends on the pest we are fumigating for and the size of the business. It can take as little as 24 hours and up to 72 hours to successfully fumigate a business.

Absolutely. Western Fumigation guards our fumigation jobs 24/7 throughout the fumigation process. We ensure security and safety throughout the entire treatment for you, the owner, and for those that may try to come in.

The most common house pests that require and will benefit from fumigation include powderpost beetles, drywood termites, bed bugs, rodents, stored product pests (such as carpet beetles, flour beetles, and Indian meal moths), and clothes moths. Business needs are often quite specific to the industry. The pests that can invade food processing and food storage facilities can be taken care of with fumigation. As long as your business is free standing (meaning it is not connected to another business or building), fumigation can be used to deal with many different kinds of pests.

No. The materials used will not damage structures. Food, plants, vitamins, and medicine all need to be removed as these can be impacted. Of course, all people and pets (including fish) should not be in the home or business at the time and for a period of time after fumigation. We provide all our customers with a detailed preparation list before the fumigation date to make sure they don’t miss anything.

Our operation is designed to eliminate pests and we do offer guarantees for our operations that vary based on the treatment. The guarantee will be offered with the proposal and discussed with you beforehand so you know what to expect including how long it should take to fix your pest issue.

Hours vary from branch to branch, but typically, the hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST. During the busy season (usually April – September) we open about 30 minutes early during the week and we are open on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. In addition, every branch has an emergency phone number that is listed on their answering machine. A manager is assigned to this for emergencies or calls that may come outside our normal operating times.

You certainly can clean after a fumigation treatment – but it’s not necessary. Fumigants are gases and leave no residue. After the treatment is completed, the area/space is actively aerated (aired out) to ensure that all materials are gone. We use the most advanced air monitoring equipment to ensure the space no longer has the fumigant present so it’s safe to enter and use.

There are a few things you’ll have to do including removing vitamins, medicines, foods, plants, and preparing to vacate the premises (that includes all pets – even fish!) for the time we are fumigation your home. We will provide and go over a detailed preparation list to make sure nothing gets missed. You can also see a full checklist of how to prepare your home for a fumigation treatment here.

There are a few things you’ll have to do including removing vitamins, medicines, foods, plants, and preparing to vacate the building (that includes all pets – even fish!) for the time we are fumigating your business. We will provide and go over a detailed preparation list to make sure nothing gets missed.

No. Unfortunately, due to the nature of fumigation, all living things – you, pets, fish, plants, etc. – must vacate the home until the “all clear” is given by your fumigation technician. There’s no wiggle room on this one!

Individual apartments cannot be fumigated since the products used are gases and can enter neighboring units or areas. However, we have fumigated full apartment buildings when there are significant issues building wide. Also, we have fumigated personal belongings (food products for stored product pests or other belongings for bed bugs) that are removed from the apartment and fumigated in a separate pod, while conventional treatments are done in the apartment.

Most all possessions (except for a few on our preparation checklist which we will provide to you) can remain in the home. We recommend you leave them! If something you remove is infested and you return with it after the fumigation process, your home will become reinfested, and we will be back to square one.

The gases used during the fumigation process can damage more sensitive or fragile items. We do recommend you remove all medications, expensive jewelry, and antiques that can be sensitive to the sun let alone fumigation. of course, all living things should be out of the house or business as well including plants, fish, etc. But your common items like furniture can be left – and mostly should be left just in case any pests are inside them.

The main items that must be removed are perishable foods, plants, pets (including fish), medicines, etc. We will provide a detailed preparation checklist and will review it with you to make sure nothing gets missed.

You really want to reduce or eliminate bagging of materials that can be left in a house or building for fumigation. You want the fumigant to enter as many spaces as possible and bagging infringes on the fumigant from being able to do so. So, unlike conventional treatments, you really don’t want to bag anything.

There are no leftover fumigants after a house or building is cleared. We use the most advanced air monitoring devices to read the measurements in all airborne spaces to ensure that the house or building is free from fumigants prior to releasing the space back to you.

No. Homeowners insurance policies consider pests and the damage they can do preventable, so they will not cover it in their policies.

We want to be clear here. Nothing lasts. New pests can be introduced through cracks and crevices in your home, on packages or your own luggage, if you forgot about treating your car, there could be pests in there that can latch onto you and hitchhike a ride inside – the possibilities are practically endless. Our fumigation services will get you down to zero, but after that, we suggest you invest in a year-round general pest control plan with a trusted partner. We would be happy to recommend one in your area.

There are many differences between these three pest control methods. Fumigation is for larger infestations or pests that are in hard to reach areas. Spot treatments are performed by general pest control companies, and really if you need a spot treatment, you should look into a year-round plan because often when there’s one pest to treat for, there are others around and spot treatments are very targeted to that one pest you may have called about. Heat treatments for bed bugs is exactly what it sounds like. A specialized heater is brought in the heat your home to a point where bed bugs cannot exist. It’s a simple enough process, but one that must be done by a licensed technician.

The fumigation process differs from job to job. But, simply put the home or container is sealed either by taping or with temporary ceiling measures. Then a fumigant is introduced and held at a certain concentration over a given period of time – both things depend on the pest and the size of the area being fumigated. Once the appropriate concentration has been reached and held, the aeration process begins. This is where the gas is released from the container, home, building structure, etc. by a professional that would also test the air to clear it and release it back to the homeowner or business owner.

Yes, fumigation does kill eggs and all life stages when introduced at the proper dosage. A successful fumigation requires the appropriate dosage for the proper exposure period to give 100% satisfied results.