Fire Ants Infect Transformers By Richard Rios President of R-Chemco

Agenda ▪ Equipment Problems caused by Fire Ants ▪ Safety concerns for employees ▪ Utility Costs considerations ▪ Existing methods of prevention

Equipment Problems ▪ Fire ants are attracted to electrical frequency which causes them to attack electrical components. ▪ Gumming through Elbows, primary, and secondary wires. ▪ Transformer Sinks causing: ▪ Corrosion of metal, bibs, oil tank, Penta-lock. ▪ Equipment failure is the ultimate result

Equipment Problems Fire ants are attracted to electrical frequency!

Oil Leaks Oil leaks caused by corrosion from dirt turned to mud that fire ants brought into the transformer.

Employee Risk ▪ Arc Flash event ▪ Electrocution ▪ Allergic reaction ▪ Loss of productivity

Risk of Outage or Employee Injury When the employee opens the transformer and moves the dirt they realize ants have gummed through the elbows and/or wire. This could cause an Arc Flash event.

Allergic Reaction

Utility Costs Unnecessary damages caused by Fire Ants can Increase: ▪ Maintenance Cost ▪ Equipment Cost ▪ Outage Times – SAIFI and CAIDI ▪ Loss of Revenue ▪ Customer Satisfaction ▪ Risk of employee injury ▪ Environmental Costs

No Preventative Maintenance Kills Equipment

Prevention ▪ Can be installed on new equipment as a Capital Cost ▪ Reduces Outages & Revenue losses ▪ Increases Customer Satisfaction ▪ Increases life of equipment ▪ Increases employee safety ▪ Lowers Operation & Maintenance costs

Chlorpyrifos AKA Dursban Rainbow’s active ingredient is Chlorpyrifos AKA Dursban Limited to Agriculture and Utility markets with restrictions Organophosphate: very highly acutely toxic to bees, wildlife, and humans In children it causes birth defects, learning disabilities, neurological disorders, developmental disorders, and autoimmune disorders. No Guarentee Dangerous through the following exposure methods: handling, breathing or eating by Food and placed in our Environment. EPA Rated for product not to exceed 100 degrees: Utility truck cabinets rise above this temperature on summer days EPA banned all over the counter sales from Residential and Public markets. Label is permitted to be used ONLY in enclosures. Highly soluble in water which allows it to leach through soils and leave the area where it was put Kills both animals and pest at similar rates High odor Requires 25 times more active ingredient: 5% Active Ingredient Tran-locates through plants  Limited to Agriculture and Utility markets with restrictions  Organophosphate: very highly acutely toxic to bees, wildlife, and humans  In children it causes birth defects, learning disabilities, neurological disorders, developmental disorders, and autoimmune disorders.  Dangerous through the following exposure methods: handling, breathing or eating by Food and placed in our Environment.  Highly soluble in water which allows it to leach through soils and leave the area where it was put  Tran-locates through plants

Chlorpyrifos AKA Dursban  EPA Rated for product not to exceed 100 degrees: Utility truck cabinets rise above this temperature on summer days.  2001 EPA banned all over the counter sales from Residential and Public markets. Label is permitted to be used ONLY in enclosures.  Kills both animals and pest at similar rates  High odor  Requires 25 times more active ingredient: 5% Active Ingredient  No Guarantee offered by manufacturer

Bifenthrin  Full range in every market with few restrictions  Pyrethroid: Organic CompoundOrganic Compound  Produced by flower called pyrethrumspyrethrums  Pyrethrum : Natural insecticide made by the dried flower heads of Chrysanthemumsinsecticidedried flower  No known effects concerning humans  2 year guarantee in enclosures  Safe enough to be used in all markets including food handling establishments  No Restrictions

Bifenthrin  Has become the market standard since December Can be used inside and outside enclosures.  Relatively insoluble in water, so there are no concerns about groundwater contamination through leaching which makes it last longer.  Kills pest at low rates  Low odor  Very effective at low active ingredient rates:.2% Active Ingredient  Not absorbed by plants thus no translocation

Questions? You could put an ant eater in every enclosure!