How to prepare your Long Beach home for termite fumigation, step by step

Step 1, one to two weeks out: book the gas shutoff and plan where to stay

Most fumigations in the area need the natural gas turned off to the house, because the tarps and the gas can extinguish pilot lights and the fumigant should not pass through burning appliances. In Long Beach, gas service to most homes is provided by the city's own utility, and some neighboring areas are served by SoCalGas. We tell you which applies and the timing to request, and arrange for it on many jobs, but confirm who is responsible for booking the shutoff and the relight.

Plan to be out of the house for about two to three nights. Pets go with you or to a boarder. Fish tanks usually need to come out too, along with the fish, because the aerator pulls air from the room. Book the stay early in late summer and fall, when many homes in the same neighborhood tent around the same time.

Step 2, the week before: bag or remove food, medicine and pet food

Anything you eat, drink or swallow that is not in a factory-sealed glass, metal or unopened plastic container needs to be removed from the house or sealed in the special fumigation bags we provide, commonly called Nylofume bags. Each bag is closed according to the instructions, usually by twisting the top, folding it over and taping it.

Go room by room. The kitchen is obvious, but people often miss a drawer of cough drops, a bowl of fruit, vitamins in the bathroom, a jar of dog treats by the door, coffee beans in the garage freezer, or a minibar in a home office. Refrigerators and freezers count: open food inside them has to be bagged or removed even though the door is closed.

When in doubt, take it out. Many homeowners simply load a cooler and a couple of boxes into the car.

• Opened boxes, bags and jars of food, including in the fridge and freezer
• All medicines, vitamins and supplements, including in purses and car bags kept indoors
• Pet food, treats and bird seed
• Tobacco and anything else that is ingested
• Baby formula, bottles and pacifiers

Step 3, two or three days before: plants, soil and the outside walls

Indoor plants need to leave the house, including any hanging on a covered patio that will be inside the tarps. Outside, the fumigation crew needs to seat the tarps against the ground, so trim shrubs, vines and climbing roses back from the walls, and move planters, garden decor and bikes a couple of feet away from the foundation.

Water the soil around the house thoroughly the day before. Moist soil helps protect plant roots near the foundation and holds the tarp seal better. In Long Beach this matters a lot during dry late summer weeks, when foundation beds can be dusty and loose. If you have a bougainvillea or ivy grown into the eaves, tell us before the day; it may need to be cut back further so the tarp does not crush it or leave a gap.

Step 4, the day before: open up the inside of the house

The gas has to move freely through every room, cabinet and closet. Open interior doors, cabinet doors, closet doors and drawers. Lift the lids of chests, open the doors of armoires and pantry cabinets, and unzip any fitted mattress covers that are completely sealed. Leave attic and crawlspace hatches accessible.

Turn off and unplug anything with a pilot light or a heating element, including space heaters. Switch off the automatic sprinklers near the house so they do not soak the tarps. Raise blinds and open curtains so the crew can see in. If you have a security system, make sure it is off or that the crew has the code, and tell us about motion lights or cameras on the eaves.

Step 5, the morning of: keys, locks and the last walk-through

Leave keys for every exterior door, including the garage, side gates and any detached shed that will be tented. On the day, the crew installs secondary locks on the doors, which only the fumigation operator can open, and posts warning signs on the structure. Nobody, including the owner, may enter until the house has cleared.

Do a last walk-through: pets, fish, plants and food out; doors and drawers open; windows closed unless told otherwise; cars out of an attached garage. A quick check of the bathroom cabinets catches the medicine that most often gets left behind. If something comes up the morning of, a person answers at (562) 636-0445 at any hour.

Step 6, under the tent and aeration

Once the tarps are on and sealed, the fumigant is released inside and held for the exposure period on the label, typically about a day. The operator then opens the tarps and the house aerates. The fumigant leaves no residue on surfaces and does not soak into fabrics in a way that needs cleaning afterward. Total time from tent-down to re-entry is usually two to three days, depending on the size of the structure, the weather and the dose.

During this period do not try to enter for any reason. If you forgot something, call and we will tell you whether it can wait.

Step 7, re-entry day: clearance and getting settled

Before anyone can go back in, the operator tests the air inside the house with a clearance device to confirm the fumigant has dropped to the allowed level, then removes the secondary locks and posts a re-entry notice. Only then can you move back in.

After that, open the windows for a while if you like, unbag your food, bring the plants back, and set up the gas relight if it was not already scheduled. Do not throw away the bag tags or the paperwork; they are part of your record. Expect to see some dead termites or swarmers drop out of wood in the weeks after, which is normal.

One more point that surprises people: fumigation kills the colonies in the house at the time of treatment, but it leaves no residual protection. New swarmers can land later, so a follow-up inspection and attention to exposed wood are worth keeping on the calendar.

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