The property is then left alone for the gas to work through and kill the termites. Since Vikane is odorless, chloropicrin (tear gas) is added as a warning agent. Warning signs are also posted around the perimeter of the tent.

Day 2 is when the tent is removed from the home and the gas is released. All the windows and doors will be opened and the fans will still run so that all the gas is taken out of the structure.

In pure form, the gas can be lethal to breathe in, but when the home is aired out, the level of gas can be brought down to levels that have been found to cause no harm to animals or humans.

On the third day, the inspectors will come in with special measuring instruments to measure the level of gas in the air and determine whether or not it is safe for you to come back in the home. They will do another visual inspection to make sure that all live termites have been eradicated that were inside the structure.

They will provide you with a certification form showing that your home is termite free and then give you suggestions as to how to prevent an infestation from happening again.

While the tenting will kill all live termites, however, subterranean termites are in the soil and the gas won't be able to reach and kill them. That's why a prevention plan is so important because you want to avoid re-infestation by the presence of these bugs.

The gas will not kill the termite eggs. Vikane is not an ovicide, meaning it will not kill the insect eggs. However, in the case of termites, even if the eggs hatch, the baby termite will eventually die because there are no worker termites to feed them.

If the target pest is drywood termites, the concentration of Vikane gas will be very specific to the required dosage for drywood termites. However, even at this dosage, Vikane will kill many other insects like cockroaches, silverfish, ants, even rats and mice.

You may continue to see evidence of termite droppings around your home. Though fumigation kills all termites inside the house, the droppings will still be inside the termite galleries or tunnels inside the wood.

Through constant movement of the house, for example, doors closing hard, natural movements, and the gravitational pull, you will still see termite droppings occasionally.

You will be allowed back into your home after the certification process is completed on the third day. The gas won't harm anything in your home such as furniture, etc.

You may want to wash down cabinets and countertops, but this isn't really necessary as Vikane gas will not stick to any surface because of its non-residual properties. Many people do this anyway for their own piece of mind anyway.

Tenting, however, isn't always necessary to treat for termites. You can also have other treatments done to get rid of your termites. Most of these procedures are also used as preventative measures when you are trying to keep termites from infesting your home.