Important Maintenance Notice

Transcription

1 Important Maintenance Notice Please be advised that Hale Kamaole will be tenting for termites September The work will be done by our longtime pest control vendor Zac s Fumigation. Fumigation of the entire complex will take approximately three weeks. Unit must be unoccupied and ready for service by 8am of the scheduled service date. It will be safe to re-enter your condo 48 hours after treatment. The schedule is as follows: Week One September 12-18, 2016 Day One Monday 9/12/16 - Cover building # 1, prep building # 2 as much as possible Day Two Tuesday 9/13/16 - Uncover building # 1, finish prep of building # 2 Day Three Wednesday 9/14/16 - Cover building # 2 Day Four Thursday 9/15/16 - Uncover building # 2, cover building # 3 Day Five Friday 9/16/16 - Uncover building # 3 *Day Six & Seven Saturday & Sunday 9/17, 9/18 - if needed because of weather, etc.. Week Two September 19-15, 2016 Day One Monday 9/19/16 - Prep and cover building # 4 Day Two Tuesday 9/20/16 - Prep and cover building # 4 Day Three Wednesday 9/21/16 - Prep and cover building # 4 Day Four Thursday 9/22/16 - Prep and cover building # 4 Day Five Friday 9/23/16 - Uncover building # 4 *Day Six & Seven Saturday & Sunday 9/24, 9/25 - if needed because of weather, etc.. Week Three September 26 - Oct 1, 2016 Day One Monday 9/26/16 - Prep and cover building # 5 Day Two Tuesday 9/27/16 - Uncover building # 5, prep and cover building # 6 Day Three Wednesday 9/28/16 - Uncover building # 6, cover building # 7 Day Four Thursday 9/29/16 - Uncover building # 7, cover building # 8, office and laundry room Day Five Friday 9/30/16 - Uncover building # 8, office and laundry room *Day Six & Seven Saturday & Sunday 9/30, 10/01 - if needed because of weather, etc. Zac s will provide a homeowner s checklist as well as the special Nulofume bags needed to protect food and medicine from the chemicals they use to eradicate drywall termites. Disclaimer: Dates are subject to change due to weather and or windy conditions. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Mahalo for your cooperation.

2 WHAT IS VIKANE GAS? Vikane is the proven, trusted product in the marketplace, developed by Dow AgroSciences, a globallyrecognized leader in the pest management industry who provides ongoing investment in fumigation research and innovation. Vikane is the #1 brand in whole-structure termite fumigation and is the only product of its kind developed, manufactured, and distributed in the United States. Whole-structure fumigation is the only treatment that ensures 100% elimination of drywood termites in a home or structure. In addition to being a trusted, high-quality product, Vikane gas fumigant has also helped distinguish Dow AgroSciences as a company that cares about the environmental impact of its products. In 2002, Dow AgroSciences received the EPA s Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award, in part for its development of new uses for the active ingredient used in Vikane to introduce its industrial counterpart ProFume gas fumigant, as a replacement for the ozone-depleting substance, methyl bromide, which was phased out under the Montreal Protocol. Winners of the Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award are leading by example. Their demonstrated commitment and extraordinary contributions inspire other individuals and organizations to make a difference in protecting the environment. Their significant contributions help mitigate the health and environmental risks of ozone depletion (quoted from the EPA s Ozone Depletion site: ozone/awards/index.html). Vikane gas fumigant is backed not only by over half a century s use, but also by science, an extensive distributor network, and the fumigators who use it. Vikane has been used to treat over two million structures, including historical landmarks, churches, museums, research facilities, colleges, hotels and ships. HOW VIKANE FUMIGATION WORKS Half a Century of proven procedure: When conducting whole-structure fumigation with Vikane gas fumigant, your fumigation professional will follow a proven process that has been used successfully for over half a century to ensure all the drywood termites are eliminated. Here s how the fumigation process works: The fumigation process starts with preparing your home for fumigation. Once you ve prepared your home and left, the fumigation crew will cover your home with tarps or plastic sheeting. This is called tenting the home. Once tented, a warning agent is released into the home as a precaution. Next, all doors are secured using deadbolts and secondary locks to help prevent unauthorized entry. Now, fumigation begins. Vikane gas fumigant is released into the home. The gas enters into the wood through pores and minute cracks, filling all air spaces and voids in the wood, walls and floor. Vikane moves through all of the termite galleries the tunnels and passages chewed into the wood killing all the termites as it goes.

3 Finally, the tarps are removed and your home is aerated with fans. Your fumigation professional will check the home with sophisticated equipment, designed specifically for detecting Vikane, to ensure the fumigant has dissipated from the structure before allowing you to return. Because it is an inorganic gas, Vikane gas fumigant completely dissipates from a structure following fumigation, leaving no surface residue, odor, or film behind. This means you will not have to wash dishes, linens, clothing, or furnishings after fumigation. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT VIKANE General Questions about Vikane What is the typical Vikane fumigation process and how long does it take? The fumigation process usually takes 24 to 48 hours. Your professional fumigator seals your home with tarps or other methods and releases a warning agent into the home. Vikane is then introduced into the structure. Your professional fumigator will carefully calculate the amount of Vikane needed, based on a variety of factors including the target pest, temperature, and size of the home. The typical house fumigation involves approximately hours of exposure. After the fumigation is complete, your fumigator aerates the fumigant from the structure following label instructions, and tests the air with sensitive gas monitoring equipment to confirm that it is safe to re-enter the building. Does Vikane leave any surface residues? Unlike some treatment options, Vikane does not remain in the home after fumigation. It completely dissipates, leaving no surface residues behind. Does Vikane cause corrosion or other damage? Sulfuryl fluoride in the gaseous state does not react with most materials and thus is highly unlikely to cause damage to structures or their contents when properly applied. If water condenses from the air during Vikane fumigations due to reaching the dew point because of too rapid Vikane introduction, water condensation forms, which may tarnish or stain certain materials. Fumigators are trained to use fans and introduction hoses to control the introduction rate and rapidly disperse Vikane in a structure to avoid fog-outs. Can the air conditioning be left running during fumigation? Leaving the air conditioning on is desirable when homeowners have temperature sensitive items inside the house, such as wine cellars, computers that must be kept cool, etc. In most residential homes the air conditioning may be left running during the fumigation, provided the compressor unit, which normally sits outside the structure, is NOT covered by the tarps. Window air conditioning units are not suitable to be left on because they would normally be covered by the tarps.

4 Is there a better time of year to fumigate? In warmer weather, less fumigant is required to eliminate pests, so this is a better time to fumigate. The cooler the temperature, the greater the dosage of fumigant required to eliminate an insect pest, because the pests have lower metabolic rates. Vikane can be used unless the temperature at the site of pest activity (with the exception of rodents) is below 40 F. Because temperature is an important factor in determining the dosage of Vikane required, the Vikane Fumiguide calculator includes temperature as part of its calculations. Once a home is fumigated, how long is the treatment guaranteed against future infestation? Fumigation with Vikane does not prevent future infestations. Toxicity and Exposure What precautions are taken to ensure my family s safety? Your professional licensed fumigator will do three things: Release a warning agent to deter entry to the home. Secure doors on your home using barricades or additional locking devices to prevent unauthorized entry. Use specialized equipment to test the air to ensure that Vikane has dissipated, so that you may reenter your home. The Vikane level must be below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirement (1 ppm or less) in all breathing zones. Therefore, as soon as the fumigator clears the structure, you may return to your home. Is the amount of chloropicrin used during a Vikane fumigation harmful to people? Chloropicrin is used at a very low application rate of 1 fluid ounce or less for every 10,000 cubic feet of fumigation space, resulting in a controlled concentration of chloropicrin within your home. After the fumigation period, your fumigator will aerate the Vikane and chloropicrin following rigorously tested procedures, so when you return home, you do not need to be concerned with any toxicological effects. Will Vikane affect my pregnancy? Your fumigator is required to test the air in your home using specialized equipment to ensure that the Vikane level is below the EPA requirement before allowing you to re-enter your home. The EPA requirement is 1 ppm or less in all breathing zones. At such a level, no fetal effects or long-term health effects would be expected.

5 I double-bagged my food in Nylofume bags prior to fumigation and was careful to get all the air out, but when I returned home, the bags appeared to have air in them. Is it safe to consume the food? It is possible that the Nylofume bags expanded yet remained airtight. If the bags were filled on a cool morning and they warmed up during the fumigation, the air would expand inside the bag. However, if there is evidence that Vikane penetrated the bag, such as holes in the bag, do not eat the food. I consumed food that was left in the house during the fumigation. Will that cause me harm? No adverse health effects would be expected from consumption of some food items inadvertently fumigated with Vikane. The residue that can form in unprotected food items exposed to Vikane is fluoride, which naturally occurs in food and water. Nonetheless, fumigated food should be discarded and should not be consumed because there are no legal tolerances for Vikane gas fumigant in food. If unprotected food items are consumed, and you have concerns or questions, please call our Human Exposure line at (option 1) for specific medical information related to the incident. EFFECTS ON VARIOUS HOUSEHOLD ITEMS Do we have to drain and remove a waterbed mattress? No, you do not have to do anything with a waterbed. Does Vikane cause staining or discoloration of fabrics? Vikane in the vapor phase does not cause staining or discoloration of fabric or other materials typically found in a building under fumigation. Does Vikane react with plasma display televisions? No - Sulfuryl fluoride was tested under laboratory conditions in the presence of various types of electronic equipment, including an assortment of computer devices. Those tests were performed at dosages far exceeding the maximum allowed on the Vikane label. Also the temperature for those tests was approximately 122 degrees F. There was no adverse malfunction to that equipment even when the equipment was left on. Will Vikane harm my photographs? No. Vikane has been used to fumigate commercial photographic establishments containing films and photographic papers. A brown cast has been seen on color prints developed with exposed solutions. No problems have occurred with photographic paper or plates. If you have professional photographic materials, we recommend placing developing materials and fixing solutions in sealed bottles or creating new solutions after the fumigation. Do not leave developing materials in open trays.

6 What are the effects of Vikane on textiles, historical/antique artifacts? Since first marketed as Vikane in 1961, sulfuryl fluoride has been used to fumigate more than two million buildings, including museums, historical landmarks, rare book libraries, government archives, and scientific and medical research laboratories. Vikane does not react with common household furnishings when properly applied. This is why fumigation with Vikane is an established method used to eradicate pests infesting delicate and rare biological and historical museum artifacts. What is chloropicrin? Chloropicrin is a colorless liquid with a very strong odor that causes eye irritation and tearing when used in small quantities. Why is chloropicrin used? Chloropicrin is used as a warning agent to serve as a deterrent to unauthorized or accidental entry into a structure under fumigation. Unlike Vikane, which has no odor and cannot be readily detected without specialized equipment during fumigation, chloropicrin is experienced as an irritant at very low concentrations. Chloropicrin is used at concentrations that provide adequate warning without causing lingering odors or other adverse effects for homeowners or the environment. Your fumigator will release chloropicrin into the structure at least 5 to 10 minutes prior to introducing Vikane. PREPARING FOOD, FEED, DRUGS (INCLUDING TOBACCO PRODUCTS), AND MEDICINALS Double-bag any food items that have been opened (that is, the original manufacturer s seal is broken) in special Nylofume bags, seal them tightly, and leave them in the home. This also includes items such as medicines, tobacco, and pet foods. Nylofume bags are nylon polymer bags that protect food items during fumigation. If in doubt on what to double-bag, remove the items from your home. Only food, feed, drugs, and medicinals in glass, plastic, or metal bottles, jars, or cans that still have the original manufacturer s seal can stay in the home and do not need to be double-bagged. For example, a 2-liter bottle of soda with the manufacturer s seal would not need to be double- bagged. Unopened wine and liquor bottles can remain in the house during fumigation, but only if the original seal is unbroken. Visually inspect each bottle to determine the seal integrity. If the integrity of the seal cannot be determined visually, the wine bottle or other packaged liquor must be removed or doublebagged in Nylofume bags before the termite fumigation. Note: ALL corked wine bottles need to be stored horizontally (on their sides).

7 SEALING NYLOFUME BAGS PROPERLY TO PROTECT FOOD, FEED AND MEDICINALS Double-up the Nylofume bags before you fill them, by putting one inside the other. Research has shown that these nylon polymer bags are very effective when used one inside of the other. Seal both the inner and outer bags after they are full. Starting with the inner bag, twist the top, double it over, and secure with tape or a twist tie. Repeat this procedure with the outer bag. Test the bag by gently pressing against the bag and checking for air leaks. No air should be able to escape. Your fumigator can provide Nylofume bags and instructions on how to use them. PREPARING THE REST OF THE APARTMENT OR CONDO Remove or peel back waterproof covers on mattresses and pillows to avoid trapping gas inside. Open all doors and drawers to cabinets, closets, and appliances. Open blinds and drapes so the fumigator has easy access to windows for the aeration process after fumigation. Remove pets and interior houseplants from your apartment or condo. Give the fumigator or your landlord keys to all locked areas to your apartment or condo. If your car is in an attached garage that is to be included in the fumigation, please make sure you supply the keys for it, too. Cars, cabinets, safes, and other locked items or rooms will need to be unlocked throughout the fumigation process so that the fumigator can inspect them and aerate them according to label requirements. If you don t wish to leave them unlocked, provide the fumigator with the keys so that he can perform the required checks. The professional fumigator will check that all food items are double-bagged and that everything is ready for fumigation. Checking the interior premises Unplug heat sources. Vikane gas fumigant is not flammable, but it is important to make sure the gas supply is shut off at the meter for the building/units. Preparing the building s exterior Remove or cut back any plants and shrubs, and rake back gravel or mulch closer than 18 inches to the building. This may be necessary because of the tenting placed around the building. To minimize the escape of gas, the fumigator seals the tents directly to the ground with water- or sand-filled snakes. Any plants on the ground where the tent needs to be sealed will need to be removed. Awnings, trellises, or fences may also interfere with tenting. Your professional fumigator will work with you to decide what to do with these items. Water plants, shrubs, and ground cover near the building the day before fumigation to protect their roots.

8 A FEW FACTS ABOUT FUMIGATION Lizards, geckos and some species of spiders will not always die in successful Drywood termite fumigation. They require higher chemical concentration levels than do the Drywood termites. Crawling insects such as ants and centipedes may get into the structure after the fumigation is completed because no chemical residue is left behind. If you have any questions about the fumigation process in general, or fumigation of our complex in particular please them to or call Jude at (808) PROJECT SUMMARY Scheduled September 12, 2016 October 1, Dates are subject to change due to poor weather or high wind conditions. Please refer to project schedule. Condo must be ready by 8am on the scheduled treatment day. Nylofume bags will be provided by vendor. Re-enter permitted 48 hours after treatment. VENDOR Zac s Fumigation (808) zacsinc@hawaii.rr.com