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Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 8:37 am
by rumbush
When it comes to my Ricks paranoia is a way of life, not simply a transient state of mind. They're each unique and as such irreplaceable. It's funny to me that I'm so attached to them but don't really care much about possessions otherwise.

Very frightening tidbit, JH. Thanks for that.

Yep Ron, they're holed up together at a "safe house." Ricks on the lam. :-) The fumigation is supposedly finished but I'm not bringing guitars, people, animals, or anything else back for at least another 12 hours.

Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 8:45 am
by rumbush
Btw, yes Geoffrey the company did issue very specific, illustrated instructions on how to prepare the place. I think they're required to by law

Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 4:38 pm
by harvey49
Just worries me that if this stuff is toxic enough to kill bugs, what's the long term effect of breathing this stuff in for years to come?

Not trying to scare you JOB, just curious to know if after the bugs have been given a concentrated blast of this stuff whether it dissipates very quickly. I guess the alternative is to do nothing and sit in a pile of chewed out timber playing what's left of the guitar collection - so I really there's no alternative!

Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 11:20 pm
by doctorwho
Ron, the chemical does disperse rapidly after treatment, and the fumigation company tests the air inside the house to make sure that the concentration is below detection limit.

Being an analytical chemist with a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer at my disposal, before I moved my stuff back inside my apartment, I took a gas-tight syringe from work, went to my apartment and sampled the air by filling the syringe with air from inside my apartment, drove back to work, and injected the sample on the instrument. No sulfuryl fluoride was detected (and mass spec is good down to parts per billion or even parts per trillion).

Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 7:18 am
by rumbush
Ron fortunately I don't scare easily :-รพ
...except when someone threatens my Ricks!! Well, in that case, THEY better be scared.

Concern over whether or not there is lingering chemical is legitimate. As the good doctor says, there is a licensed technician who walks around testing the air in each room. He/she won't sign off unless the gas has completely dissipated.

Since Vikane is odourless and non-allergenic, it is spiked with tear gas so some unlucky person can take a not-so-subtle hint that it is unsafe to re-enter if they arrive prematurely.

Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 4:21 pm
by harvey49
Thanks for the benefit of your knowledge Gary, you can't be too careful, as you can obviously attest to!

JOB, hope these little critters didn't do any major damage or was it done as a precautionary measure? ie converting your Rics into short scaled guitars Image

Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2006 8:28 am
by rumbush
Fortunately Ron it was just precautionary. In any case my Ricks (and my small endothermic quadrupeds) are happy to be back home.
Paul and Gary, thanks as always for the great information.