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Wood Fumigants - MITC-FUME, OsmoFume & More

Fumigants are designed to help protect in-service utility poles against strength loss caused by internal decay and insect attack. They produce gases 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.  Fumigants contain one of three active ingredients:

  • Mitc
  • Dazomet
  • Metam-sodium

The three actives listed above all rely on mitc as the preservative agent.  Dazomet and metam-sodium must decompose in order to produce mitc while mitc in its pure form does not. 

  Active Ingredient Form
MITC-FUME® Mitc Solid-melt tubes
DuraFume® Dazomet Granular solid-pour
WoodFume® Metam-sodium Liquid
OsmoFume® Dazomet Solid-dazomet stick

 

MITC-FUME®

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

OsmoFume®

OsmoFume is a proprietary, solid dazomet-based fumigant. Its compact stick-like design allows room for triple the amount of copper-based accelerant to be used when compared to granular/powder fumigants. The addition of Hollow Heart CB significantly increases mitc production while the boron and copper quickly penetrate to control decay.

DuraFume® II

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

WoodFume®

This metam-sodium-based product decomposes to produce smaller quantities of mitc than MITC-FUME or DuraFume.  WoodFume is 32.7% metam sodium in liquid form.  It is applied from a calibrated one-gallon container.  
CA Residents: Proposition 65

For more information on wood fumigants, please call 770.632.6700 (option 3) or email products@osmose.com