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Vikane Treatment

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w152171189

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Joined: May '09
Posts: 6

Posted 6 months ago
Sun May 17 2009 18:28:37
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I am a newbie and posted earlier today under Concerned and Paranoid. I have spent the day reading posts and FAQ's. Vikane seems to be the treatment of choice as it kills everything in one treatment. Why don't more people use this? Is it illegal in some states? Is it harmful? I live in a single family home so could easily isolate the house with a tarp or what ever. I went onto the website for Beg Bugs and Beyond and will call them tomorrow but not sure they will come to Connecticut as they are based in NYC. Thoughts and advice are appreciated.
buggyinsocal

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Posted 6 months ago
Sun May 17 2009 20:12:24
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I don't think Vikane, which is the trademarked name for sulfuryl floride is illegal in any state in the United States. It is not available in Canada and some other countries. (This is not surprising as effective as it is, it's not a treatment to be used lightly. It is a highly toxic gas that must be used under very controlled circumstances, and it also does substantial damage to the environment. But it's one of a very few treatments that effectively gets rid of certain pests.)

In warm climates where drywood termites are a problem, like, say, southern California, tenting a house and treating it for termites is pretty common, and because it's more common, the cost is apparently much less than in many other places. I have a friend at work who is close to buying a house, and the house inspection found termites, so she and her husband will be calling local pest control firms to find out what it would cost and whether thermal or Vikane makes more sense. I'll be asking them what kinds of estimates they get in terms of cost for the home, so I should have recent reliable figures in the next few weeks.

As the previous post that you replied to suggests, I have heard that generally speaking, costs are lower in the south and the southwest of the US.

And if you go with Vikane, make sure that your PCO knows that the concentrations needed for bed bugs are different from those for termites. Bed bugs require 3x the gas as termites.

However, you should be aware upfront that Vikane and thermal, both the one shot treatments that are very effective, tend to be more costly up front. We got estimates for chemical treatment for my apartment that were about $150 per unit. It was $850 to have a thermal treatment done.

If you have a confirmed bed bug infestation, thermal is also an option. I know there are some thermal providers in the northeast, and I think I remember seeing at least one in New England, although I thought they were Boston not CT based, however they might travel.

In any case, however, the PCO is going to want to confirm that you do actually have bed bugs, since thermal and Vikane won't solve the problem (or would be complete overkill for some pests) if you don't have them.

As for why more people don't use Vikane, there are a few reasons:

It's not available in Canada and some other countries, so people from Canada and other countries who might like to treat, cannot.

It's prohibitively expensive for some people. Even taking into account that Vikane treatment reduces certain other costs (dry cleaning everything that can't be washed, not needing to buy as many plastic bags and bins), esp. in some parts of the country when combined with the need to relocate from a house for several days, it often costs more than other kinds of treatment.

It can only be used on single family structures or the whole apartment building. Many people with bed bugs aren't home owners but renters at the mercy of landlords. Vikane is hands down the most expensive option for landlords since they must pay not only for the treatment of the whole building, not individual units, not all of which may be infested, but also must pay to put tenants up at hotels while the building is being tented. As a result, many landlords would never shell out for Vikane.

I believe there are some temperature limitations to Vikane (unless I am confused which is always possible.) In the south and southwest where it is most used, we don't have as many if any cold spells that would prohibit its use. In NYC or CT or New England, y'all do. (I know. I lived in Boston for a number of years, and my family is still in NE, so . . . I spend many winter holidays there. )

It absolutely must be done by a professional. The gas itself is highly toxic and must be completely outgassed before anyone can move back into the place. A friend of mine here rented a house and had to stay at a hotel for several nights while her landlord had it tented for termites. Part of the reason for the cost of Vikane is the labor. You need a crew of several PCOs to come in, put the tenting around the house, inject the gas, monitor the whole thing to make sure there are no leaks, leave the place gassed, come back, get rid of the gas safely however they do that.

Since I live in a four plex, and mine was the only unit with bugs, my landlord would never have considered it for an option. I am fortunate that living in southern California, thermal was, and that's what we went with. However, my landlord lives on the same property, and as a result, is much more rational and willing to work with tenants on issues; many landlords are not.

Put together, those factors, I suspect, account for why more people don't use Vikane.
w152171189

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Joined: May '09
Posts: 6

Posted 6 months ago
Mon May 18 2009 14:42:53
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Thank you for that really informative post. I may be a good candidate for Vikane and have read that Bed Bugs and Beyond is a reliable PCO with considerable fumigation experience. I spoke with them and they seemed very knowledgeable and thorough. I will likely work with them. They even had some solutions and advice for advising the neighbors when they see my tented house with warning signs. Knowing that there is something out there as effective as fumigation relaxes me about this whole situation. Part of the fear is that there is nothing anyone can do about BBs and no matter what effort you go through and how hard you try, nothing helps.

This is a good website and I will keep posting as I go through this fumigation experience.
DragonFlight

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Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 233

Posted 6 months ago
Mon May 18 2009 16:54:46
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It really stinks that this option is not available in Canada. What would happen if one unit in a apartment were to be Vikane or Thermal ? What would happen with the rest of the units in the building ?

Also if you have to leave your house because the gas is so toxic and stay at a hotel room, couldn't you pick up bed bugs at a hotel and then after spending all that money thinking you can get on with life you start the cycle all over ? IMO you'd have to stay at a relatives knowing that you're not bringing them with you to there house where you know you're not going to pick up any from there house if they don't have any.
buggyinsocal

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Joined: Jun '08
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Posted 6 months ago
Mon May 18 2009 17:28:23
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You simply cannot Vikane a single unit in a building. The gas is highly toxic if inhaled, so it's pumped into the tent around a whole structure. There is no practical way to tent a single unit in a multi-unit building.

Thermal can be used on a single unit within in a building; however, if any of the other units are also infested and not treated, you can get reinfested very easily.

I had my one bedroom apartment treated in a building in which none of the other units were treated. However, we made that choice only after all other units were thoroughly inspected.

The only thing that happens to other units in the building with thermal is that adjacent apartments may get a little toasty.
DragonFlight

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Posted 6 months ago
Mon May 18 2009 18:25:05
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Oh I understand now. Most landlords won't pay the price to have a entire building done, unless it's a condo and if the owner has a heart, but then again if any tenant goes to a hotel or another person who has them the whole building may not get infested but that person will then it could spread again.
w152171189

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Joined: May '09
Posts: 6

Posted 6 months ago
Mon May 18 2009 20:51:05
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The Vikane treatment company I spoke today discussed the issues with treating multi tenant buildings with Vikane. Apparently the procedure is different from single standalone homes. I am in a standalone home and feel that Vikane treatment is best for me as i don't have the lifestyle that can bag everything and wait for results. If I had a small apartment that might be different. After my very prelimnary read of all posts and FAQ's it seems to me that Vikane is the best solution for me. Not sure about multi tenant buildings. I will keep everyone posted on the results of my treatment.
cachevalier

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Joined: Apr '09
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Posted 6 months ago
Mon May 18 2009 21:33:42
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i had thermal done and havent had any pests since. im from new england and found a company in mass to do th job. minimal prep and it was done while i was at work . when i got home it felt like walking into an oven. it took while to cool down but definately worth it
buggyinsocal

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Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,129

Posted 6 months ago
Mon May 18 2009 22:27:08
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I had to leave town for a family wedding, and (of course,) the day I left was the earliest day the PCO could treat with thermal. So the morning of my thermal was good times: I was in the driveway with my pet sitter and my friend who was driving me to the airport with my luggage for a week long trip. My cat was in the carrier, getting ready to go to the groomer and then to stay with my petsitter for the day/night until the apartment cooled off.

In the driveway, the chemical guy from the pest control firm was showing me how to inspect for bugs as he inspected my luggage, while the thermal guys set up the duct work for thermal.

Meanwhile, I was loading up my friend's car with my cleared luggage while my pet sitter wrangled my cat in the carrier into her car. While the chemical guy did an inspection of the other units in my building.

In retrospect, I'm sure it was quite the spectacle.

But it explains why I only have second hand reports of how hot my apartment was that night. I was, by that time, in a whole other part of the state.

My nearest neighbor did report that her adjacent apartment was pretty toasty. She's a little inclined towards exaggeration, however, and I should point out that since I live above her and heat rises, I'm not sure how accurate that report is. The thermal guys seemed really stoked when they showed up and found out that I had the apartment with attic access, since they were all like "Great, we can vent the heat out through there."