Structural fumigation is a pest control method that involves filling the airspace within a structure with a toxic gas to eliminate pests. A tarp or tent is used over the structure to trap the gas inside. The gas penetrates cracks, crevices, and pores in the wood to kill pests such as drywood termites and bed bugs.
Fumigation is the use of gaseous pesticides to suffocate or poison pests. Structural fumigation techniques differ depending on the building. In a home, plastic tents may be placed over the entire house while pesticides are released into the vacant residence, a process called tent fumigation or "tenting".
Before fumigation, the structure is carefully prepared. The process typically complete in 3-4 days but can take up to a week. Residents should stay out of the home until cleared, around four days or more.
Fumigation involves confining a lethal gaseous pesticide within an enclosed, tarpaulin-sealed space for sufficient time and concentration to kill the target pest. The key factors are enclosure, time, concentration and temperature.