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REDLANDS, Calif. — The “Asistencia,” ranch outpost of the Mission San Gabriel, in Redlands, Cal., has been home to several of California’s notable historical figures including Jose del Carmen Lugo and Bishop Nathan C. Tenney. Built in 1819 and currently on California’s historical landmarks list, the “Asistencia” has served as an outpost for cattle grazing, a place of worship, a furniture factory, a school, and more. Unfortunately, some unwelcome guests recently called the “Asistencia” home – drywood termites – and the San Bernardino County Museum decided to take a stand to stop these wood-destroying pests from causing more damage. Evidence of drywood termites prompted San Bernardino County Museum administrators to contact Morales Exterminating for an inspection and a solution that would completely eliminate the drywood termite problem. On September 12th, the termites who had taken up residence in the buildings of the “Asistencia” were successfully fumigated with Vikane® gas fumigant. “The extensive damage the drywood termites had caused was not only evident to the naked eye, but also ran deep into the unseen areas of the buildings” explained David Owens, operations manager of Morales Exterminating. “Because of this, we determined that whole-structure fumigation with Vikane was the best option to eliminate all the pests and help preserve the structural integrity of the site well into the future.” Beneficial Exterminating, Inc., a Commitment to ExcellenceSM (CTE) company, was sub-contracted by Morales Exterminating to perform the fumigation based on its reputation for quality work and successful experience with unique and challenging structures. “Because of the sensitivity and historical significance of this project, we knew the fumigation would be a challenge,” said Lee Whitmore, vice president of Beneficial Exterminating. “We don’t run across century-old clay roof tiles in the every day fumigation process, but we were up to the challenge.” The fumigation team from Beneficial Exterminating used extreme caution when covering the buildings of the “Asistencia” with tarps, preventing further damage to the historical site. In addition, fumigation experts Barb Snowden and Stan Woodward from Dow AgroSciences were on hand to provide further counsel and support. “Taking such immense care during the fumigation added several hours to the job,” Whitmore explained. “However, the extra time and effort was well worth it to preserve this historical landmark for the community.” For more information on whole-structure fumigation with Vikane® gas fumigant, visit www.termitetenting.com.
Because of the significance of the fumigation, four local newspapers, including San Bernardino County’s largest paper, covered the event.