Methyl bromide was a gas once used by fumigators, but due to newer developments in extermination gas its use subsided. Additionally, regulators who were highly concerned that the gas was doing damage to the ozone layer wanted to stop its use. Still the application method was the same as it is with the newer gases. A one- to two-day process, the poison gas is pumped through the home that has been sealed and protected in a process called tenting. Before the process begins, all people, pets and any other living beings within the house besides the target need to be safely removed. Any medicine and food should be removed as well because they could be contaminated. Any bedding, pillows or other softer furniture need to be placed in protective seals of their own.
The same rule applies for another type of fumigation gas called sulfuryl fluoride which is also known as Vikane, a popular brand name synonymous with the gas. This type is the most common fumigation gas used; it has replaced methyl bromide. The gas has no odor or color. No indication will exist after the process that it was used other than the exterminated pests. It works by breaking down within the termite's body after they breathe it. The fluoride kills the termites by upsetting their metabolism.
Chloropicrin is gas used during fumigation, but it is not meant for the bugs. It is meant for people. It is used as an unpleasant deterrent to keep people out and away from the house that is being fumigated. It is intended as a safety measure, because the poisons can harm and even kill human beings if they go inside the place being poisoned or are in close proximity to the house.
Humans and animals have died from exposure to the gases used to fumigate termites. People should take the gases seriously as threats to life. No antidotes have been developed for any of the toxins; exposure, if severe, is untreatable. When a homeowner agrees to have his house fumigated, he must sign a document that is legally binding that states the lethal potential of the gases.