California Company Completes Largest Fumigation With Vikane

The largest fumigation with Vikane® gas fumigant was recently completed. Mariners Bay, an apartment community in Marina del Rey, Calif., encloses more than 9.7 million cubic feet of residential and commercial space.

MARINA DEL REY, Calif. — The largest fumigation with Vikane® gas fumigant was recently completed. Mariners Bay, an apartment community in Marina del Rey, Calif., encloses more than 9.7 million cubic feet of residential and commercial space. The complex’s nine separate buildings are connected by common walls and a two-level underground parking structure.

Mariners Bay had been plagued with drywood termites for more than 10 years. “Spot treatments” with residual pesticides for visible infestations provided limited success, allowing the drywood termite problem to escalate over the years because of the many inaccessible areas left untreated.

After consulting with pest management professionals, Mariners Bay management determined that whole-structure fumigation with Vikane® gas fumigant was needed to completely eliminate the drywood termites. Vikane penetrates into wood throughout the structure-even the areas that cannot be seen, reaching all of the drywood termite colonies.

John Kowan Termite and Beneficial Exterminating, recognized by Dow AgroSciences as a Commitment to Excellence company for its dedication to excel in the area of whole-structure fumigation with Vikane, was called upon to complete the record-setting fumigation.

Months were needed to plan for the 9.7 million-cubic-foot fumigation, including nearly a dozen meetings with Mariners Bay management to develop a comprehensive fumigation plan and to coordinate the relocation of 400 occupants. It was also imperative to educate the occupants about the fumigation process and to help them prepare for the fumigation, to prevent delays associated with bagging of food and removal of plants and pets.

“Our main challenge was the size and scope of the project,” said Lee Whitmore, vice president of Beneficial Exterminating. “Every detail needed to be considered for the fumigation to be a success.”

Barb Snowden, Vikane® gas fumigant specialist with Dow AgroSciences, was on hand to provide counsel and answer questions from residents and management. In addition, when an anti-pesticide organization gave anti-fumigation materials to residents, Snowden was able to quickly provide information to ease concerns. “With the help of our distributor partners, Dow AgroSciences’ goal is to provide unprecedented training, product stewardship and localized support to fumigators using our product,” said Snowden.

Two days before the fumigation, workers pre-staged all the equipment – including 297 tarps – so that everything was ready to go. Tarp loaders – long extension ladders with side rails that use pulleys run by gas motors – were used to lift tarps onto the five-story structure. Workers used 8,100 sand bags and 6,700 feet of water snakes to weigh down the tarps, and ropes attached to golf balls were used to minimize tarp billowing.

During the close the winds picked up in the evening, causing a few tarps to blow out. Crews held the job in place, then re-sealed the areas and introduced Vikane. It took four and a half hours to introduce the 3,111 pounds of Vikane required, per Fumiguide™ calculations, into the structure.

Throughout the fumigation, workers monitored the structures using a Fumiscope and also used a RDA Fumiscope in one of the larger buildings, which gave them the ability to monitor remotely via a laptop computer. Crew members worked around the clock to check wind conditions and monitor the fumigation’s progress every other hour. Dow AgroSciences and Univar, USA provided meals for crews on the day of the close.

Whitmore stated that the fumigation was a great success – completed as scheduled, with the drywood termite problem completely eliminated.

“With a project of this size, you have to plan proactively for any problems that might arise,” Whitmore said. “Our extensive planning and technical assistance of Dow AgroSciences helped to ensure a successful fumigation.”

For more information on whole-structure fumigation with Vikane® gas fumigant, visit www.TermiteTenting.com.