Fumigants

Fumigants are designed to help protect in-service utility poles against strength loss caused by internal decay and insect attack.  They produce vapors that move within the pole both vertically and horizontally from the application holes, helping to eliminate wood-destroying fungi.  They are ideal for protecting heartwood and inner regions of poles.  Fumigant applications can help control incipient decay and help to prevent future fungal attack.  They can be especially helpful when treating Western species (fir and cedar).  Western species are prone to internal decay because they are largely heartwood which is difficult to penetrate and treat.

Fumigants are generally applied at or near the groundline area in liquid, granular, or solid melt formulas.  After application, the fumigants begin to volatize and move several feet from the point of application.  All fumigants contain one of four active ingredients:

• Mitc
• Dazomet
• Metham sodium
• Chloropicrin

The first three actives listed above all rely on mitc as the preservative agent.  Dazomet and metham sodium must decompose in order to produce mitc while mitc in its pure form does not.  The fourth active, chloropicrin, is a very effective fumigant, but handling, application, and transportation requirements usually make it impractical for use except on rural transmission lines. 

MITC-FUME^®

The most widely-used fumigant in the United States
This mitc-based product offers easy application and a higher level of protection against internal decay since it does not require decomposition in order to produce mitc.  MITC-FUME is 97% mitc in a solid-melt form.  It is pre-packaged in individual dose 30-gram tubes.

DuraFume^®

This dazomat-based product decomposes to produce smaller quantities of mitc than MITC-FUME, but greater than metham sodium fumigants.  DuraFume is 98% dazomat in a crystallized solid-pour form.  It is applied from a metered one-gallon container.

WoodFume^®

The lowest cost wood pole fumigant
This metham sodium-based product decomposes to produce smaller quantities of mitc than MITC-FUME or DuraFume.  WoodFume is 32.7% metham sodium in liquid form.  It is applied from a calibrated one-gallon container.

Osmose Fumigants brochure