What to do before a fumigation
Food, pets, staff and timing. What we need from you so the treatment works first time.
18 February 2026
Fumigation is the heaviest treatment we do and the one that depends most on preparation. A spray that is not quite right can be topped up next week. A fumigation that is not sealed properly wastes the whole exposure period, and you have closed the premises for nothing.
Most of the preparation is yours rather than ours, so it is worth knowing what is coming before you book.
Timing comes first
Fumigation needs the premises empty of people and animals for an agreed period, then ventilated and cleared before anyone goes back in. That is not a couple of hours. Work backwards from when you need to trade again and tell us the deadline early, because it decides when we can start.
For a wholesaler or a stockroom that usually means overnight or across a closed day. For a container it is simpler, because nobody needs to be in it.
Before the day
- Arrange for everyone to be out, including staff who might come in early, cleaners, and anyone living on the premises. Pets, birds and livestock too.
- Tell your neighbours. In a shared building or a row of shops this matters, and it is much better coming from you in advance than from us on the day.
- Deal with food that is not the target. Anything staying in the building needs to be sealed or removed. If you are unsure about something, ask rather than guess.
- Open up the interior. Cupboards, drawers and stock need to be accessible so the treatment reaches into them rather than around them.
- Turn off air conditioning and close external openings. We will check, but the building seals faster if it starts closed.
On the day
We seal the space, apply the product, and the exposure period begins. Nobody enters during it, including us. That period is set by the product and the premises, not by convenience, so it is not something we can shorten because a delivery turned up.
Afterwards we ventilate, test, and give you written sign-off before the building is reoccupied. That sign-off is the document you want in your file, and it is what a health inspector will ask to see if the subject comes up.
What it does not do
Fumigation clears what is there. It does not stop the next population walking in, because it leaves nothing behind once the building is cleared and ventilated. If the entry points are still open and the stock is still against the wall, you will be doing this again.
That is why we treat a fumigation as one part of a plan rather than the whole of it, usually alongside proofing and a repeat cycle on the lighter treatments.
Read what a fumigation involves in full on our services page. It is always quoted after an on-site inspection, because the plan depends on the building.