Many citizens don’t know the difference between pest control services and fumigation services. Few consumers call the pest control company and ask for fumigation services at their home. Lack of complete knowledge can place the consumer in serious health problem. Let’s have a look after the correct usage of the term as the difference between pest control services and fumigation services varies a lot.
Pest Control – Pest control term refers to the control or management of a species defined as a pest, not total elimination of the pests. Controlling pests makes more sense in the environment community live in.
For eliminating pests completely often requires harmful toxic chemicals that often times do more harm than good. Pests are extremely adaptable and use a variety of methods to adapt changes in environment. Pests change their behaviors and adapt physiologically, including changing their times of activity and hiding. No matter how toxic the chemicals used are, total elimination is never guaranteed. The chemicals used in pest control services don’t kill all the stages of pests. Pest control services include screening and sealing of openings to avoid entry of pests inside the premises. Pest Control services are provided in home, offices, schools, ware houses, factories, and laboratories, residential and commercial complexes. General pests like cockroach, ants, lizards, spiders, bed bugs, termites, mosquitoes and rodents are covered under pest control services. License for carrying out pest control services is easily available with local government bodies.
Fumigation – Fumigation involves controlling pests by using fumes. Fumigation is one of the methods used to control pests. However, pest control operators do not often use this method. Fumigation is generally used for control commodity pests and export material. Volatile gases or other chemicals that release gases are used in fumigation, eg. Methyl bromide and aluminum phosphate. This process is sometimes referred to as “gassing.”
Fumigation is a method of pest control, but pest control does not have to involve fumigation.
Fumigation services are carried out for containers and godowns. Use of methyl bromide is restricted in few countries. Methyl bromide is highly poisonous chemical and handling such chemicals requires special Government license. Methyl bromide is highly toxic. The food grains treated by methyl bromide stops the germination process of the seeds. It kills all the stages of pests. The chemicals used for fumigation are highly toxic than chemicals used in pest control services.
Important – Many unauthorized pest control operators in Mumbai and other parts of India offers cheap pest control services, They may use fumigation chemicals like aluminum phosphate for residential pest control services as the chemicals are cheap and readily available which puts resident’s life at risk. Many cases have been reported in last few years in Mumbai about usage of overdose of chemicals and use aluminum phosphate at home which led to casualty. Hence make sure before using the term pest control and fumigation and check your pest control operator uses the right dosage and chemicals and have proper license for carrying pest control services.