Tales of traps, tunnels and triumph. How we dealt with a rodent ingress problem.
September 23, 2025
If you’re a farmer or you work in the bagged and bulk animal feed industry, there’s nothing more heartbreaking than
We provide fumigation services across the country in various environments including agriculture, education, logistics, transport and food supply chain locations. Fumigation is highly specialised and should only be undertaken by qualified experts – which we are!
Fumigation is the measured process of application, exposure and dissipation of a toxic chemical in its gaseous state to control the target pests in a product or enclosure.
The gases used are highly toxic, and it certainly isn’t just a case of releasing the gas and hoping for the best. It is a scientific and detailed process, which, when done correctly, achieves fantastic results.
You should always ask to see evidence of qualifications and licenses. A trained fumigation specialist will carry a Fumigation Specialist card, which not only should they offer to show you, but they should be happy to show you when asked.
It is the only remedial option once an infestation has taken hold. For example, in an infested grain store, toxic gas can penetrate through the grain and control all life stages, including eggs.
It’s all in the measuring. Whilst we are proud to be pest geeks, we appreciate that not everyone gets as excited as we do when we start talking about the technical aspects and finer details of our work.
We don’t just dump a load of gas in an area and hope for the best. We calculate the Concentration Time Product (CTP) which in very simple, non-geek terms, is the dosage of the fumigant required to kill the insect taking account of the time, temperature and concentration of the gas.
We calculate to know that the time has been long enough and the concentration is high enough to kill whatever insect is infesting the food or building.
We measure using optical interferometers, our weapon of choice, which gives us exact readings of gas concentration inside whatever we are fumigating.
There are a range of CTPs for different insects and different gases. We are always sure we have reached the CTP for any fumigation that we do.
If you would like to understand how we work with the CTP more, just let us know – we like nothing more than talking about our calculations and the scientific approach to fumigation.
At Dealey, we have one of the largest fumigation teams in the UK and a reputation that gives us clients across all sectors. Every fumigation treatment is certified with a clearance certificate once the fumigation is complete. This reassures buyers that infestations have been completely controlled.
Dealey is the only UK-licensed company to supply Blue Fume.
If you lack confidence in the fumigation approach currently happening on your site, or if you feel you need to look at fumigation for the first time, just drop us a line. We are always happy to give advice and have a chat about the best solution for your pest problem.
A highly specialised service undertaken by our qualified and licensed professional team in a variety of environments.
Dealey is the only UK company capable of fumigating planes with fumigant gases, providing a unique solution for pest control in aircraft.
Even planes can suffer from pest problems, including bedbugs, cockroaches, and occasionally rodents. Fumigation is a quick and effective solution for removing these pests.
Bedbugs are often unnoticed because reactions to bites occur days later. Heat treatments used by airlines can take up to 48 hours and may fail by pushing the bugs into the aircraft’s frame. Fumigation offers a faster and more reliable solution.
Cockroaches are commonly brought in by catering services and can infest the entire plane. Traditional insecticides may not be safe for airline staff, but fumigation effectively eliminates the pests and clears the atmosphere quickly.
Rodents can be difficult to catch on planes, often leading to long delays. Fumigation allows planes to be treated and returned to service in just a few hours.
After fumigation, Dealey uses specific methods to ensure rodents are easily retrievable, preventing unpleasant odours for passengers on future flights.
Insects in grain storage have become more common, with foreign species breaching our shores. Warmer winters, larger storage sites, and pesticide bans make it increasingly difficult to keep grain free from infestations. Dealey provides a confidential and effective fumigation service to eliminate infestations.
Dealey offers comprehensive grain store treatments to prepare for harvest, debug after infestations, or maintain during the storage season. Using DEFRA-approved chemicals and powered air, they ensure all nooks and crannies are treated. Regularly revolving active ingredients prevents chemical resistance.
Ensure your grain stays protected with Dealey’s Grain Care service. Regular checks, expert advice, and prevention of storage problems help you avoid costly fumigation treatments or rejections.
The great advantage of building fumigation is that it gets any structure down to zero pests after only 48 hours. It is effective against all insect pests, rodent pests, and mite pests.
We use Bluefume which is the most effective fumigant on the market. Dealey have been the sole registered user of Bluefume in the UK since 2019.
The great benefits of Bluefume (and there are lots) can be found in our article here.
Bluefume is injected into the building through an installed fumigant distribution system which can be installed permanently or temporarily depending on your preference.
Yes, and we can prove it.
During every building fumigation we use bioassays to show efficacy.
After every building fumigation you will be provided with readings from our data loggers which measure the exact levels of fumigant gas in multiple areas of the building being fumigated.
After many years of building fumigation experience we have seen building fumigants come and go. Since methyl bromide was banned for use in the UK, Bluefume has been the only replacement which is actually as effective as methyl bromide was.
Other gases which have been registered as building fumigants in the UK have not been very effective against insect eggs. This led to many companies that used building fumigation in their fumigation strategy to be disappointed with results when they see insects again after only a few weeks.
Bluefume is very effective against eggs, even mite eggs which are the very hardest thing to eradicate from a building.
When it comes to analysis of data after a fumigation, we often find we have gone over the CTP required for mite eggs by a factor of 20. (What’s a CTP? Glad you asked, see here for an explanation).
Other building fumigants have come and gone. They were unfailingly disastrous for the environment.
There was methyl bromide which burned a hole in the ozone layer and was phased out of use after the signing of the Montreal Protocol in the 19980s
Then there is sulfuryl fluoride which according to scientists at Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University is 7,500 times worse than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. It has an atmospheric life of 36 years. And its environmental fate is in the ocean.
Conversely, Bluefume is a natural gas which quickly breaks down in the atmosphere into compounds that are beneficial to plant growth.
Bluefume is an overwhelmingly better fumigant for the environment than other building fumigants.
Bluefume poses no risk to surrounding people and businesses and is very effective against pests. We love it.
Whether you need imported containers vented or containers for export fumigated, we provide safe, clean, and cost-effective treatments.
In-transit fumigations can be carried out at the point of loading or at the shipping port. We handle all signage requirements and manage the necessary paperwork.
If ventilation is needed, we assess residue levels, perform the venting, and provide the required certification.
Using innovative methods and creative bespoke solutions, we eradicate pest issues. Your site technician will be supported by the Dealey team of committed and passionate pest controllers.
With herbivorous insects thought to be responsible for destroying one–fifth of global food production, insect pest control is a passion of ours.
Our qualified and licensed team of professionals manage bird populations to minimise conflicts between human and bird activities.
Dealey has been providing pest control services and expert advice for over 60 years. With an ethos based on excellence, striving to find new and innovative solutions and always loving what we do, Dealey is headed up by Martin Cobbald, a global go-to expert in all this pest-related.
A small team of highly trained fumigators, we consistently operate to a very high standard and always aim to improve and innovate. Our technicians are all pest geeks with an embarrassment of riches in insect knowledge. All of us come from a farming and fumigation background, meaning you will always get solutions that are as practical as they are technically proficient.
Find out about the latest technology and methods, how pests are responsible for a fifth of the world’s food production, and all things creepy crawly from the Dealey team of pest geeks.
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Whether you would like a chat to find out more, talk through options, or arrange a site visit so we can see how we can help, we would love to hear from you.