Home · Termite services · Termite fumigation
Whole-structure tenting · drywood termites · you move out for a few days
Termite fumigation
When drywood termites are through the whole structure rather than in one beam, tenting the building is the only thing that reaches all of it at once. It is disruptive and it is not cheap, so it is worth understanding before you agree to it. Call and we put you through to a local termite company.
- Real person answers, day or night
- Same/next day appointments in most areas
- Price agreed before work begins
- Nationwide network of local termite companies
Is this what you have?
The signs
- Drywood termite pellets appearing in several unconnected rooms
- Kick-out holes in timber on more than one floor
- Swarmers emerging indoors from multiple points
- Spot treatments that keep working, then fail somewhere new
- Infested timber that cannot be reached to drill or inject
- An inspector has recommended tenting rather than local treatment
Heads up. Fumigation kills what is in the structure on the day. It leaves nothing behind in the timber, so it gives you no protection against the next colony and does nothing at all for subterranean termites in the soil. If someone proposes it for mud tubes on your foundation, ask why.
On the day
What the technician does
- They confirm it is the right call
Tenting is for drywood termites spread through the structure. A single infested beam is normally a drill-and-inject job, which costs a fraction as much.
- You prepare and move out
People, pets and plants leave. Food, medicine and anything else consumable is either removed or double-bagged in the bags the company supplies. The gas company shuts off the meter.
- Tenting and release
Tarpaulins go over the whole structure and are sealed at the ground. A measured dose of fumigant goes in, calculated on the volume of the building and how long it needs to hold.
- Aeration and clearance
The tarps come off and the building is aerated and then tested with monitoring equipment. You go back in only when the reading is at the cleared level — never on the technician's word alone, always on the instrument.
Practical
Getting ready, and what it runs
Preparation
Expect to bag or remove all food, drink, medicine and pet food, take out houseplants, and arrange somewhere to stay. The company gives you a written preparation list — follow it exactly, because a missed step can mean the job is aborted on the day.
How long you are out
Typically two to three nights, depending on the dose, the structure and the weather.
Roof and garden
Tarps on tiles carry some risk of breakage, and overhanging branches usually have to be cut back so the tent can seal. Agree beforehand, in writing, who is responsible for what.
What moves the price
- Cubic volume of the structure, not its floor area
- Roof type and how hard the building is to seal
- The dose and hold time the infestation calls for
- Any landscaping that has to be cut back or protected
Questions
Termite fumigation — questions we get a lot
Does fumigation kill subterranean termites?
No. It treats what is inside the structure. Subterranean colonies live in the soil and keep coming back — that is a liquid barrier or bait job.
Does it leave residue on surfaces?
The fumigants used for this do not leave a surface residue, which is why the clearance test is on air readings. Follow the company's instructions on what still has to be bagged.
Will it protect the house afterwards?
Not at all. The day after clearance the timber is as re-infestable as it was before, which is why an annual inspection still matters.
Is there an alternative?
For localised drywood activity, yes — drilling and injecting the affected timber, or heat treatment where a company offers it. Ask why tenting is being recommended over those for your house.
Termite inspection
Termite treatment
Termite wood repair
Termite prevention plansTalk it through before you commit
Open 24 hours. Describe what you are seeing and we will put you through to a local company.