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Posted By JEFFREY SMITH
Yes, the summer is well and truly upon us(?) as are ants.
Apart from the obvious ie washing hands, not breathing the dust, is there any reason why individuals cannot use ant powder in their offices? It currently costs us £75 a time for the pest man to come out and put the powder down and understandably this has a big impact on our budget!
Help?!?
Many thanks
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Posted By The toecap
No doubt somebody will say 'do a COSHH assesment'. So i'l say it first. But have a look at the label seee wahet the dangers are. Perhaps put it down at weekends or when there is noobody there, say evenings etc.
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Posted By JEFFREY SMITH
Duh! Why didn't I think of COSHH?
Thanks for that toecap!
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Posted By Robert K Lewis
The hinrance is called the Control Of Pesticides Regulations 1986, as amended 1997- commercial application, ie at work, has to be by trained personnel.
Bob
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Posted By JEFFREY SMITH
Bob
I had thought of that but then the other question arises, how do you train someone
to put down ant powder? Have the same problem convincing people here that they
should scrub out the loo after they have used it!
My biggest problem with the regs is that most people use bleach and other cleaning
products at home with no problem. Same with ant powder. Why should it be any
different at work?
(not meaning to be cynical or anything, just frustrated with lack of common sense).
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Posted By Bill Elliott
Boric Acid powder - available over the counter from any pharmacist is very effective in controlling garden ants. See link:
http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/homepest/ants.htm
Good housekeeping will usually keep them at bay but there is always the determined foraging ants the link will help you. Regards
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Posted By Robert K Lewis
Jeffrey
The short answer is you cannot train them as it is a DEFRA course. For other reasons you cannot follow Bill's home treatment as I do not think Boric Acid is approved as a commercial pesticide.
The whole matter is fraught with traps for the unwary which is why you need to pay the "experts". You can place upside down orange peel on a saucer on the floor and take the friendly little beasties safely out to moither nature or feed them to your pitcher plant.
Bob
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Posted By Descarte
I can just imagine this scenario:
Put ant powder down 5pm friday evening,
Cleaners come in at 6pm,
Cleaner > what's all this mess, Hoover hoover hoover
Monday morning,
Bob > dam the ants are still here, did you put that powder down
Dave > Yes
Bob > Well it dosnt look like it
Janice > Hey, my desk, paper work and monitor is covered with a fine white dust
Dave > Hmmm, tastes like icing sugar, I wonder what it is
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Posted By Bob Thompson CMIOSH
alas common sense is not always common practice. If a coshh assessment is undertaken which outlines all the controll measures the product should be no more of a problem as any other substance which is used in the working environment provided that you can manage the situation. We use NIPON RAID for dealing with ants quite sucsefully and safely.
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Posted By Robert K Lewis
This emphasis on the COSHH assessment is actually irrelevant. The whole purpose of COPR was to ensure that
A) Only persons who were adequately trained in the storage, use, mixing and disposal of the materials would handle them - hence construction general operatives should not be spraying weed killer etc. The same philosophy exists for our little friends.
B) Only materials approved for use in a particular situation are used. The list distinguishes Commercial and domestic. Just because it can be done in the home does not necessarily mean the same substance can be used at work.
Bob
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Posted By Tony Brunskill
A little common sense here I think. How big is the infestation? Where is the infestation? Why is the contractor not traeting the infestation in such a manner as to prevent a regular return? For a small infestation a little nippon or simalar in bait traps should be sufficient. My risk assessment would probably come down on the side of doing this sort of treatment myself. For a larger infestation a carbamate based insecticide is usaully enough to get rid of the infestation for a good few months. Enough to see the summer through. But needs to be professionally applied and to the right areas. MAke sure the actual operative applying the insecticide is BPCA trained and accredited (Not just the company).
Drop me an email and I can tell you more.
Tony
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