Fumigation treatment should be carried out for packing materials such as wood crates, skids and other packing materials. Plant material such as straw, rice hulls and similar plant material used as packing material can carry exotic insect pest and diseases. The wooden crates have to be treated prior to shipment by carrying out fumigation with Methyl Bromide. The maximum thickness of the packing wood must not exceed 200 mm.

Fumigation of wooden packing material should be carried out with methyl bromide at the dosage of 48 grams per meter cube. In this process the wooden packing crates are placed inside the fumigation covers which is kept on a smooth flooring and it is covered with gas tight sheets to make it an air tight enclosure. The gas monitoring lines for measuring gas concentration during the exposure period is placed at different positions for efficient gas monitoring. The fumigation covers are sealed with sand snakes and an air tight enclosure is made. The total cubic area of the enclosure is measured and the required dosage of methyl bromide is administered. Gas monitoring is carried out during the exposure period. After the exposure period of 24 hours the fumigation covers are removed and the empty wooden crates are aerated then ISPM 15 marking is legibly marked on the wooden packing material. The ideal wood for packing of export cargo would be Kiln dried pine wood.

Heat treatment is one of the approved phytosanitary treatment as per ISPM 15 Standards for control of pest in timber packing. Various types of cargoes are packed in wooden packing material for transportation to various countries around the world. The timber packing which is used becomes carriers of spreading exotic pests from one country to another country through cargo if not treated.

Heat treatment is a process whereby the wooden packing materials are kept inside a chamber and hot air is passed into the chamber and a temperature of 56 degrees celsius is maintained throughout the treatment period. Fumigation services have approved Heat treatment facility in Chennai and Cochin which will cater to the requirements of exporters who prefer heat treatment for their wooden packing materials. Most of the European countries prefer heat treatment for wooden packing material that are imported into their country. Heat treatment is a environmentally friendly procedure where no toxic gases are used for carrying out the treatments. It is carried out for all types of wooden packing material like pallets, woods, skids, boxes and crates.