Question from HEG
I just learned that the preschool my daughter will be attending in a few weeks was tented for temites last month. They are very green-conscious (their food is completely organic and dairy is grass-fed, use green cleaning products) so I have to assume that they did everything they were supposed to do in terms of cleaning up afterwards. However, I am still disappointed that they didn’t use a less toxic means of getting rid of the termites. Can you recommend what questions I should ask to make sure that the environment may be safe for my toddler to attend in a few weeks? I.e. I will certainly confirm that they removed all food prior to the fumigation and thoroughly cleaned their kitchen. What should they have done in terms of the toys and furniture in the classrooms?
Debra’s Answer
Here are some excerpts from the standard preparation steps before tenting and fumigating for termites:
1. REMOVE persons, pets and plants (including seeds and bulbs). LEAVING PETS UNATTENDED IN THE YARD IS NOT SUFFICIENT.
2. REMOVE all food, animal feed and medicinals which are not factory sealed in metal or glass (including freezer and refrigerator items and bottled water).
3. BABY MATTRESSES MUST BE REMOVED WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
Given that baby mattresses must be remove without exception, I would say that in a preschool furniture and any soft fabric items should have been protected as well.
Find out what fumigant was used and then look up on the internet “[name of fumigant] half-life to see how long it takes for the fumigant to dissipate. Remember that half-life the the time it takes for half the fumigant to dissipate, so you will need to at least double that number.
